SWISSto12 will be able to advance the development and market launch of its HummingSat satellite after receiving further investment from the ESA. To this end, the ESA member states of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway, plus Canada as an associated member, have committed funding of 73 million euros within the framework of the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) partnership project. This was announced by the company, which is based in Renens in the Swiss canton of Vaud, in a recently published statement.The HummingSat, which was developed in partnership with the ESA, is far smaller and more cost-effective than conventional geostationary satellites. The first launch is planned for 2027. With the HummingSat platform, SWISSto12 is responding to growing global demand for continuously available broadband internet connections for aircraft and ships, secure government communications and internet access in remote regions, Internet of Things devices, and security-related and location-based services.As SWISSto12 explains further, the 73 million euros from the ESA was supplemented by fresh capital from European private investors in the second half of 2025. This reportedly brought the total funding volume recorded last year to more than 100 million euros.“We are proud to continue our support of SWISSto12”, comments Laurent Jaffart, ESA Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications. Emile de Rijk, CEO and founder of SWISSto12 sees this support and the recent financing round involving European private investors as sending “a strong message to the global market that SWISSto12 is at the heart of satellite communications innovation. With our growing suite of agile, cost-effective and highly performant SatCom solutions, we provide a credible answer to some of the most pressing challenges facing the space economy, including the critical issue of enabling satellite sovereignty – something, until now, out of reach for most of the world’s nations”. (ICE BERNA)

Fonte notizia: ce/mm