What Xona does

Xona Space Systems, Inc., founded in 2019 and headquartered in Burlingame, California, is developing the Pulsar commercial satellite navigation service — a planned 258-satellite low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation purpose-built to deliver high-precision positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data as an alternative or complement to legacy GPS. The Pulsar architecture features a patented distributed clock architecture that delivers precision without per-satellite atomic clocks, a software-defined payload supporting in-orbit updates, dual-band Pulsar X1 and X5 signals broadcasting adjacent to GPS L1/L5 with EFQPSK modulation, and bespoke high-power isoflux transmission antennas. The system delivers approximately 100x stronger received signal strength than GPS (~-136 dBW), native 2 cm × 4 cm horizontal/vertical positioning accuracy, less than 10 ns timing accuracy traceable to USNO, NIST, NPL, and NRC UTC standards, and a world-first 4-second time-to-authentication via a Combinatorial Watermark ranging scheme. Xona is the first commercial operator licensed by the FCC to operate in the GNSS L-band and the first to broadcast a fully authenticated satellite navigation signal (2025); Pulsar-0, the first production-class satellite, launched aboard SpaceX Transporter-14 in June 2025.

Xona's go-to-market centers on a subscription-based Pulsar service with tiered access delivered via Dynamic Authenticated Encryption, alongside integration into the installed GNSS receiver base via firmware updates. Revenue today is dominated by U.S., Canadian, and UK government R&D and demonstration contracts — including AFWERX Direct to Phase II SBIR ($1.2M), AFRL STAR-FISH ($4.65M), SpaceWERX STRATFI ($20M non-dilutive), plus R&D collaborations with the UK National Physical Laboratory and Canada's National Research Council. Commercial revenue is contracted via signed agreements and MOUs with anchor customers across defense (Lockheed Martin), precision timing (Hoptroff, Fibrolan, Timebeat, Murata), geospatial and surveying (Trimble, Topcon Positioning Systems, Hexagon|NovAtel), and maritime/industrial (Furuno), with active field deployments planned from late 2026 and earliest commercial coverage expected as soon as 2027. The company distributes through a "Pulsar Verified" ecosystem of more than a dozen receiver, simulator, and chipset partners (Spirent, Safran, Collins Aerospace, Septentrio, ST Microelectronics, Syntony, Locus Lock, StarNav, HYFIX, Baseband Technology, Qascom), and sources satellite buses from Aerospacelab.

Xona has raised over $300 million cumulatively across seed, Series A ($19M, May 2024, led by Future Ventures and Seraphim Space), Series B ($92M plus $20M STRATFI, June 2025, led by Craft Ventures), and Series C ($170M, March 2026, led by Mohari Ventures Natural Capital with participation from ICONIQ, Woven Capital, Samsung Next, and Hexagon). The company is opening a new Burlingame satellite manufacturing facility (April 2026) designed to produce 250+ American-built Pulsar satellites over five years at lower cost than a single traditional GPS satellite, and operates internationally from Montreal, Canada (led by co-founder & CTO Tyler Reid) and London, UK. Founders Brian Manning (CEO), Tyler Reid (CTO), Adrien Perkins (VP Engineering), Bryan Chan (VP Strategy), Kazuma Gunning (Director of Navigation), Paul Tarantino, and Jerami Martin continue in leadership roles.

Name

Xona

Legal name

Xona Space Systems, Inc.

Website

https://xonaspace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Xona Space Systems is a private U.S. company developing the Pulsar low Earth orbit satellite constellation to deliver centimeter-level positioning, navigation, and timing data with stronger, authenticated signals for defense, telecom, agriculture, financial, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Satellite Navigation Services

NAICS

Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Satellite Broadband Internet Access (Consumer/SMB) (HDAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB), Ground Segment Systems (Ground Stations, TT&C, Mission Ops) (IMABACAJ), Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)

Keywords

• Satellite navigation services
• Positioning navigation timing
• LEO PNT constellation
• GNSS augmentation
• Secure satellite timing

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlingame

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pulsar subscription service: Subscription-based access to the Pulsar LEO PNT service with tiered subscription levels and per-user/per-group key management via Dynamic Authenticated Encryption; seamless over-the-air rekeying supports multiple service tiers.
2. Government R&D and demonstration contracts: Direct-to-Phase II SBIR, STAR-FISH (AFRL $4.65M), STRATFI (SpaceWERX $20M non-dilutive), and other DoD/USSF contracts for PNT demonstration, jamming/spoofing resilience, multipath reduction, and security key distribution testing.
3. Commercial customer agreements and early-access integrations: Signed commercial agreements with timing and positioning customers (Hoptroff, Fibrolan, Timebeat, Topcon, Trimble, Furuno, Murata) for early-adopter access and integrated receiver/service offerings, with planned active deployments from late 2026.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Xona Space Systems develops and operates the Pulsar low Earth orbit (LEO) Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) service, broadcasting proprietary dual-band X1 and X5 navigation signals from a planned 258-satellite constellation to deliver centimeter-level accuracy, 100x stronger signals than GPS, and cryptographic ranging authentication against jamming and spoofing. The company sells Pulsar primarily through subscription-based service tiers and complementary government R&D and demonstration contracts, while building its own satellites and a verified partner ecosystem of receivers, simulators, and test platforms.

Product overview

Xona Space Systems offers a unified commercial satellite PNT platform anchored by its flagship Pulsar service and the Pulsar spacecraft constellation. The Pulsar service is the core product, delivered from a planned 258-satellite LEO constellation using proprietary Pulsar X1 and X5 dual-band signals that broadcast alongside GPS to provide centimeter-level accuracy, 100x signal strength, and cryptographically authenticated ranging. The Pulsar spacecraft form the hardware backbone of the platform, with Pulsar-0 being the first production-class satellite (launched June 2025) and Huginn being the 2022 technology demonstrator. Complementing the service are the Pulsar Verified ecosystem of partner receivers, simulators, and test platforms, plus planned Pulsar subscription tiers enabling seamless over-the-air rekeying and ranging authentication. Together these offerings deliver a generational, software-defined PNT infrastructure serving defense, agriculture, telecom, transportation, infrastructure, maritime, construction, surveying, aviation, financial systems, fleets, mining, and autonomous robotics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pulsar: Xona's commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite navigation constellation and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) service, broadcasting dual-band X1 and X5 signals for centimeter-level accuracy. The planned constellation includes approximately 258 (described as ~300 in some sources) small satellites in LEO.
• PULSAR™
• Pulsar-0

Products and services

• Pulsar LEO PNT Service Subscription-based Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) service broadcasting proprietary dual-band Pulsar X1 and X5 signals to deliver centimeter-level accuracy, ~10 ns timing, and cryptographic ranging authentication to defense, telecom, financial, government, and industrial customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100x stronger received signal strength than GPS L1 C/A (~-136 dBW)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability6 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Murata ManufacturingflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Japanese electronics component supplier Murata signed an MOU (June 3, 2026) to evaluate Pulsar for telecommunications, data centers, financial networks, and timing-critical industries (5G/6G, construction, agriculture). Murata's venture arm Wonderstone Ventures is also an early investor in Xona.
• Government of Canada (ISED / National Research Council Canada)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026R&D collaboration announced May 27, 2026 to strengthen resilience of Canada's timing infrastructure. Funded through Defence Research and Development Canada's Canadian Safety and Security Program; demonstrates distribution of Canada's UTC(NRC) via Pulsar satellites.
• Hexagon (NovAtel)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026Hexagon participated in Xona's $170M Series C (March 26, 2026) and is also a long-standing GNSS receiver ecosystem partner integrating Pulsar into its high-precision positioning product portfolio. As both investor and ecosystem partner, Hexagon | NovAtel provides critical commercial distribution reach into precision agriculture, construction, and geomatics.
• Topcon Positioning SystemsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Signed commercial agreement (February 12, 2026) securing early-adopter access to Pulsar, making Topcon one of the first commercial customers integrating LEO-based positioning into construction, geomatics, and agriculture workflows.
• Furuno ElectricflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Furuno signed an MOU (February 3, 2026) with Xona to develop LEO PNT solutions. Partnership focuses initially on industrial timing, integrating Xona's Pulsar constellation into Furuno's maritime, timing, and industrial product portfolio to create GNSS-independent positioning/timing solutions.
• UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2026Collaboration (January 14, 2026) to strengthen UK timing resilience by broadcasting the UK's official time standard via the Pulsar constellation. Supports Xona's broader initiative of broadcasting multiple national time standards from a shared satellite platform.
• AerospacelabflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 12 January 2026Aerospacelab contracted (January 12, 2026) to supply eight additional satellites for Xona, building on the success of Pulsar-0. Launches commencing late 2026. Critical satellite bus manufacturing partner for scaling the initial Pulsar constellation.
• SeptentrioflagshipTechnology or Integration · 7 October 2025Septentrio and Xona signed an MOU (October 7, 2025) to accelerate adoption of next-era navigation technology. Long-standing receiver partner integrating Pulsar into commercial GNSS receivers (Septentrio Mosaic and other product lines) via firmware updates.
• U.S. Space Force (SpaceWERX)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2025$20M STRATFI award from SpaceWERX (June 26, 2025), non-dilutive funding to accelerate commercial alt-PNT transition for DoD missions. Builds on prior AFWERX SBIR Direct to Phase II work and AFRL STAR-FISH demonstration contract.
• TrimbleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2025Collaboration (March 11, 2025) to integrate Trimble's correction services with Xona's PULSAR navigation service for centimeter-level positioning in geospatial, automotive, and IoT applications. Trimble Ventures also invested. Initial satellites expected late 2026; service from 2027.
• U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2025$4.65M STAR-FISH contract (February 25, 2025) for AFRL to demonstrate Pulsar's jamming/spoofing resilience, multipath reduction, and security key distribution with partners QinetiQ, StarNav, and Locus Lock. Builds on earlier $1.2M AFWERX SBIR Direct to Phase II (August 1, 2024).
• Locus LockcoreTechnology or Integration · 28 August 2024Locus Lock joined the Pulsar ecosystem (August 28, 2024) to develop a software-defined GNSS receiver integrating Xona's Pulsar service. Also a partner on AFRL STAR-FISH contract for DoD demonstrations.
• StarNavcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2024StarNav produces multi-frequency multi-source GNSS receivers that can be configured to use both GNSS and Pulsar signals; partner on AFRL STAR-FISH contract for Pulsar-enabled device demonstrations.
• QinetiQcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2024QinetiQ is a partner on the AFRL STAR-FISH contract demonstrating Pulsar-enabled receivers for DoD missions. Listed in Xona's Pulsar Verified ecosystem of receivers and test platforms.
• Lockheed MartinflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2023Lockheed Martin and Xona entered an enhanced collaboration (August 22, 2023) to protect Pulsar services with military-grade security practices — accelerating signal security and license management for first production satellite launches. Lockheed Martin Ventures first invested via First Spark Ventures round in late 2022.
• Spirent Federal / Spirent CommunicationsflagshipTechnology or Integration · 6 June 2023Spirent certified Pulsar production signal simulator (May 30, 2023) and began accepting orders for certified Xona Pulsar production signals simulator (June 6, 2024). Provides lab-based GNSS simulation for Pulsar receiver development and validation.
• Safran (Orolia / Skydel)flagshipTechnology or Integration · 4 April 2023Safran's Skydel-powered GNSS simulators (GSG-8) added support for Xona's Pulsar LEO constellation and signals (announced April 4, 2023). Provides OEMs, developers, and integrators with early testing and validation tooling for Pulsar receivers.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TrustPoint: Direct LEO PNT competitor building a commercial positioning, navigation, and timing constellation from low Earth orbit. Pursues the same alt-PNT opportunity for defense and commercial customers that Xona targets with Pulsar.
• Satelles (Safran): Provides alternative PNT signals (STL) by leveraging the Iridium LEO constellation, directly competing with Pulsar in resilient timing and positioning for defense, telecom, and critical infrastructure customers.
• NextNav: U.S.-based alternative PNT company pursuing terrestrial 3D positioning as a complement/alternative to GNSS, targeting public safety, E911, and commercial applications that overlap with Xona's enterprise and defense verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Iridium Communications: Operator of the Iridium LEO satellite constellation, which underpins Satelles' alternative PNT offering and is therefore an indirect incumbent in LEO-based PNT. Comparable as a large-scale LEO constellation operator with overlapping spectrum and platform considerations.
• Trimble: Global provider of high-precision positioning technology and GNSS correction services across geospatial, agriculture, construction, and automotive. A Xona commercial partner but also a broad incumbent whose positioning portfolio competes with and depends on Pulsar integration.
• Hexagon (NovAtel): Global positioning technology group (including NovAtel) serving precision agriculture, surveying, construction, and defense. Both an investor/partner in Xona and a broad incumbent whose high-precision GNSS receivers compete with and complement Pulsar.
• u-blox: Swiss provider of GNSS chipsets and modules across automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose hardware receives GNSS (and increasingly LEO PNT) signals, and whose product roadmap is partially influenced by Xona-style LEO services.
• OneWeb: Operator of a LEO broadband satellite constellation. Comparable as a large-scale LEO constellation operator with overlapping manufacturing, launch, and ground-segment considerations, though focused on communications rather than PNT.

Emerging players

• Swift Navigation: Emerging precise-GNSS positioning provider (Skylark corrections, Piksi receivers) for automotive, robotics, and IoT. Adjacent to Xona's positioning use cases with overlapping customers in autonomy and high-precision applications.
• Locata Corporation: Provider of terrestrial alternative PNT (LocataNet) for environments where GNSS is jammed, spoofed, or unavailable. Directly comparable as an alternative PNT technology competing for defense, mining, and critical-infrastructure customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/XonaSpace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xona-space-systems

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds14 records

Investors34 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Xona