Antaris, the software platform provider for space, announced the company has closed a $4.2 million seed round of funding led by Acequia Capital and Possible Ventures. The round also includes investment from leading space tech investors Lockheed Martin Ventures, HCVC, E2MC and Ananth Technologies.
“We created Antaris to make space easy,” said Tom Barton, Co-Founder and CEO of Antaris. “Our platform dramatically simplifies the way satellites are designed, built and operated, and we’re excited to accelerate our development efforts with this new funding round. For too long, the ability to deploy payloads into space has been hampered by extraordinarily high costs, supply chain constraints and lack of vendor interoperability. We intend to change all that.”
Funding will primarily be used to onboard new talent and accelerate development of the Antaris Open Space platform, which includes modular satellite design tools, True Twin™ virtual satellites, integration with verified manufacturing partners and interfaces to a comprehensive suite of mission control solutions.
“Antaris is aiming to streamline how we build and manage satellites in low Earth orbit,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “We invested in Antaris because we believe in their mission of bridging space and cloud technology, and simplifying operational management throughout a satellite’s lifecycle.”
Antaris is suited to a wide range of missions, including communications, imaging, climate study, military intelligence and academic research. The company has inked preliminary deals with key industry players including Ananth Technologies Limited, OHB Hellas, Phantom Space Corporation, Morpheus Space, ZES and Aphelion Aerospace. The first Antaris satellite, known as Janus I, is scheduled to launch in late Q3.
“The launch of Janus I in the coming months will be a key milestone for Antaris and our valued partners,” said Karthik Govindhasamy, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Antaris. “We are fundamentally revolutionizing access to satellite technology, and it all revolves around our unique approach to the end-to-end software solution for all aspects of the satellite lifecycle.”
Antaris founders previously served in key leadership roles at satellite disruptor Planet Labs and were part of the team that launched the largest commercial imaging constellation ever flown.
