Grace Ashiru
Simera Sense, a global leader in delivering comprehensive optical solutions for the small satellite Earth observation industry, has successfully secured €13.5 million in its inaugural round of growth investment.
Since its establishment in 2018, the company has experienced rapid growth, offering a diverse range of high-resolution cameras tailored for use by clients in the global small satellite industry. Simera provides solutions to a worldwide customer base in the Earth observation data and service market, projected to reach a value of USD 20.73 billion by 2029, up from an estimated USD 12.55 billion in 2024.
Simera Sense is poised to leverage the investment from NewSpace Capital and Knife Capital to meet the growing demand from clients. The infusion of funds will facilitate the expansion of our current production capacity and the establishment of additional production sites in Europe. This strategic move will not only reinforce our production and customer support capabilities in Europe but also empower us to bolster our product development teams. As a result, we will be able to expedite the development of higher-resolution and SWIR camera products.
Simera Sense is focusing on advancing its capabilities in on-board data processing, which will be integrated into the camera control electronics. This innovative feature, currently in development, will set a new standard in the industry. Typically, data from satellite cameras is processed on the ground, leading to bandwidth constraints and communication challenges.
Johann Du Toit, CEO of Simera Sense, expressed gratitude to the company’s investors for their unwavering support.
“We are delighted with the funds raised and extend our gratitude to NewSpace Capital and Knife Capital for their support. We eagerly anticipate the journey ahead,” he expressed.
We are prioritizing an immediate increase in our production capacity to meet client demand and further reduce delivery times. Concurrently, we are advancing the development of our on-board data processing solutions to the next stage.
Satellite imagery plays a crucial role in addressing terrestrial challenges, and the Earth observation and space market’s expansion underscores its significance.
The company is currently experiencing an incredibly thrilling period.
Bogdan Gogulan, Managing Partner of NewSpace Capital, stated:
After an extensive market analysis, we identified Simera Sense as the ideal company to revolutionize Earth observation. Their unparalleled ambition and expertise truly set them apart from the competition.
Over the years, we have closely monitored the company and observed that the team possesses a unique blend of technical expertise, business insight, resilience, and humility, which has proven to be appealing to both customers and partners. We are confident that this exceptional team is poised to achieve significant milestones, particularly in the realm of mastering on-board data processing, a potential game-changer for the market.
We also have exciting synergies with other companies in our portfolio.
“We are pleased to announce that Simera has selected NewSpace Capital to lead this funding round. We are grateful for the confidence placed in us by our co-investors, Knife Capital, and we are excited to collaborate on the next phase of commercial space development.”
Keet van Zyl, Co-Founder and Partner at Knife Capital, made an addition.
We are thrilled to support the distinctive blend of advanced technology product suite, a strong market demand for Simera Sense products, and an entrepreneurial team with a proven track record of successful execution in this field.
“Our journey has been incredibly fulfilling, especially as we navigated the due diligence process and successfully closed the transaction with reputable investment partners. Knife Capital is honored to play a pivotal role in the transformation of the optical payload solutions industry.”
Simera Sense, a company launched in South Africa and headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, boasts a prestigious client roster including AAC Clyde Space, Open Cosmos, Nara Space, and OHB Systems AG, among others.
The company partners with multiple European institutions and collaborates with other businesses to pursue opportunities in the ‘New Space’ sector.
In 2020, our collaboration with Open Cosmos led to our selection to participate in the Phi-Sat-2 mission, backed by ESA. We provided innovative solutions for an AI-enabled Earth Observation Cubesat.
