Golbriak Space raises €4M to scale laser communications for satellite constellations

Estonian startup Golbriak Space has raised €4 million in new funding to expand its laser communication technology for satellite constellations. The Estonian company designs, engineers and manufactures these systems for space and airborne applications, aiming to simplify integration and make optical communications easier to produce and deploy.

The seed round was led by Join Capital and PhotonVentures, with additional participation from Takeoff, managed by Plug and Play. The investment is being directed towards Golbriak Space's Italian holding company, Iribits S.r.l., and will support the development of its Estonian subsidiary, Golbriak Space OÜ.

Laser communications have been recognized for their performance benefits, such as moving large volumes of data without relying on congested radio-frequency spectrum, and their resistance to interception or disruption due to narrow, highly directional beams. However, the challenge has been creating cost-effective, scalable terminals that can be easily integrated and operated by customers.

As satellite networks grow larger and more interconnected, the demand for optical terminals is increasing. Golbriak's terminals operate independently of satellite pointing capabilities, simplifying integration and allowing multiple terminals to function on the same spacecraft or aircraft. The company develops and produces the optical, electronic, mechanical, and software components of its systems in-house, enabling it to optimize performance, integration, manufacturability, and quality as production volumes rise.

"We have addressed the key challenges required for large-scale deployment of optical communications," said Golbriak Space CEO Nicola Garzaniti. "Our functioning products, paying customers, and expanding demand from operators planning the next generation of satellite networks demonstrate a significant technological and commercial lead. This funding will accelerate our ability to manufacture at the scale our customers require."

PhotonVentures Co-founder and General Partner Pieter Klinkert added, "Golbriak combines advanced photonics with a highly scalable architecture. With demand moving towards constellation-scale deployments, we see significant potential for Golbriak to become a leading supplier of optical communication terminals for the global space industry."

Golbriak is currently in advanced negotiations for several thousand systems, with upcoming customer-funded deployments across multiple commercial space programs set to expand its operations from 2027.