CesiumAstro Raises $470M in Growth Capital, CEO Calls It a 'Scale Moment'

The software-defined satellite tech company plans to expand manufacturing and move into end-to-end mission delivery.

Feb. 2, 2026 at 6:47am

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CesiumAstro, a provider of software-defined satellite technology, has secured $470 million in growth capital, including $270 million in equity funding and $200 million in financing from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). CEO Shey Sabripour described this as a 'scale moment' for the company, as it plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities in Texas and move into delivering full end-to-end missions for customers.

Why it matters

This funding round allows CesiumAstro to transition from being a supplier of phased array and other satellite technologies to becoming a prime contractor for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and telecommunications missions. It also positions the company to increase its commercial business, which currently makes up about 25% of its revenue, to 50% by 2030.

The details

CesiumAstro's Series C funding round was led by Trousdale Ventures and included investments from Toyota's Woven Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, Airbus Ventures, the Development Bank of Japan, and other global investors. The company also secured $200 million in financing from EXIM to expand its manufacturing facility near Austin, Texas. CesiumAstro plans to use the funding to build out a 270,000-square-foot campus to consolidate its engineering, electronics manufacturing, and satellite production.

  • CesiumAstro introduced its Element software-defined satellite design last year, with the first Element satellite set to launch later in 2026.
  • The company received a contract from the U.S. Space Force's Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program to partially fund the development of the Element satellite.

The players

CesiumAstro

A software-defined satellite technology company that has expanded from providing phased array and other satellite components to delivering full end-to-end mission solutions.

Shey Sabripour

The CEO of CesiumAstro, who described this funding round as a 'scale moment' for the company as it moves into becoming a prime contractor for government and commercial missions.

Trousdale Ventures

The lead investor in CesiumAstro's $270 million Series C equity funding round.

Woven Capital

The venture capital arm of Toyota, which participated in CesiumAstro's funding round as the company looks to expand into connected car applications.

Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)

Provided $200 million in financing to CesiumAstro to support the expansion of the company's manufacturing capabilities in Texas.

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What they’re saying

“We're going from software-defined radios and phased arrays and processor systems, to full end-to-end missions from ground all the way to space. [From] the equipment on the ground, on drones and aircraft, all the way to the spacecraft. Full mission delivery to our customers — that's what this round means.”

— Shey Sabripour, CEO, CesiumAstro (Via Satellite)

“This allows CesiumAstro to get closer to the end customer — the Department of War, national space agencies, commercial customers — and capture 10 times more value than they would have if they were just a payload company. And their payloads are still available for key partners and customers.”

— Phillip Sarofim, Founder, Trousdale Ventures (Via Satellite)

“We need an industrial base at all levels — large, medium, and small, that creates and brings back our industrial base to America. That's what this round means to me — we're building things from the ground up again in America and selling it to the world.”

— Shey Sabripour, CEO, CesiumAstro (Via Satellite)

What’s next

CesiumAstro plans to launch the first Element software-defined satellite later this year, with funding support from the U.S. Space Force's STRATFI program.

The takeaway

This major funding round allows CesiumAstro to scale up its manufacturing capabilities and transition from being a supplier of satellite components to becoming a prime contractor for government and commercial missions, positioning the company for significant growth in the coming years.