QuadSAT raises €9 million funding to expand range of antenna-testing drones

QuadSAT, the Danish drone-based testing company, has secured an additional €9 million of funding to scale up its operations, with plans to expand its product range.

The funding round was led by Cambeidge-based IQ Capital with support from existing investors, including the UK space tech fund Seraphim Space, Danish state Vækstfonden, and angel investors Torben Frigaard Rasmussen and Helge Munk.

Satcoms boom

“The satcoms industry is growing at a fantastic rate,” commented Daniel Carew, Investment Principle from IQ Capital. “In the not too distant future, almost everything will be connected via satellite. With that growth will come an urgent need to ensure efficient RF connectivity and spectrum utilisation. QuadSAT’s technology is already making an impact with a number of leading players.”

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LEO satellite operator OneWeb is among its customers.

The latest investment, says the company, is the result of “a significant uptick in commercial demand from major satellite operators, antenna manufacturers, and service companies” in the satellite industry. With the new funding, QuadSAT aims to scale up its operations, expand its product range and bring its technology to more customers in the market.

Quadsat’s system consists of the drones integrated with a custom RF payload, together with automation and measurement software. It is being partially funded by the ESA ARTES Core Competitiveness programme.

“This is a significant milestone for our company, and we are excited to be able to expand our global reach,” said the CEO of QuadSAT, Joakim Espeland. “With this funding, we will be able to optimise the use of global radio spectrum by providing our customers unparalleled testing capabilities, ultimately ensuring better performance of satellite networks.”

Commercialisation

In November last year QuadSAT announced it was productising its drone-based antenna and radio frequency test and measurement system.

Previously available only as a managed service delivered by QuadSAT engineers, it said the system could now be also be acquired for third-party testing needs.

See also: ESA funds use of drones for satellite antenna testing