UNIO raises €2.5m to speed auto 5G-satellite connectivity

UNIO, a German space startup, has announced pre-seed investment totalling €2.5 million to speed the development and market launch of its UNIO ‘bridge’ product.

This enterprise-class commercial vehicle system is designed to provide ‘always-on’ connectivity, specifically for connected vehicles transitioning between 5G and satellite connectivity. This is aimed at both the logistics and agricultural sectors, with first products expected to be delivered in “early 2024”, with a full customer rollout slated for Q3 2024.

The funding was raised from the space companies OHB and IABG, as well as existing UNIO shareholders SES and Reflex Aerospace. The latter two are UNIO joint venture foundation partners (along with Mynaric and Isar Aerospace) who have increased their investment in the company.

“Both the amount invested, and [our investors] clear willingness to invest in us, especially given the current challenging investment climate, validates not only the efficacy of the product we are designing and soon moving into production, but also our wider business strategy to provide super-fast, ultra-secure and ‘always-on’ connectivity,” said UNIO’s CEO, Katrin Bacic (pictured).

Founded in Munich in 2022, UNIO is a joint venture of Isar Aerospace (a manufacturer of launch vehicles for small payloads), Reflex Aerospace (a European satellite manufacturer), Mynaric (a specialist in laser communications) and SES (the satellite operator and content and connectivity service provider).