What SATLANTIS does

SATLANTIS is a Basque Country-headquartered space technology company that designs, manufactures, and operates high-resolution optical payloads and complete small satellites for Earth observation and astrophysics missions. Founded in 2013 as a University of Florida spinoff and re-domiciled to Bilbao, Spain in 2014, the company is built around its proprietary iSIM (integrated Standard Imager for Microsatellites) platform — a miniaturised binocular optical design that delivers sub-meter resolution imagery across PAN, RGB, NIR, SWIR, and thermal infrared (TIR) spectral bands simultaneously, with video and polarimetry capability. The product line spans the iSIM-90 and iSIM-170 cameras, the GEISAT methane-detection microsatellite, the GARAI and FlexSat platforms, the upcoming Graphium 50cm-resolution optical payload, and the Hibiscus TIR cameras developed by its UK subsidiary SuperSharp Space Systems. SATLANTIS has launched eight missions to date with a 100% success rate and is currently constructing 17 high-resolution cameras and five FlexSat satellites.

The company monetises across four revenue streams: small-satellite sales and operations (over 50% of income), camera/payload hardware sales, satellite data and monitoring services, and end-to-end mission solutions. Pricing is bespoke and contract-based, with no public price list; engagements are multi-year and negotiated directly with government space agencies (NASA, ESA), sovereign customers (Armenia, Poland, Basque Government), and enterprise buyers in energy (Encino, Williams, Enagás), agriculture (Agriculture Intelligence, NAU Country Insurance), and defence. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, exclusive regional channel partners (Encino for the Americas, Creotech for Northern Europe), and prime/subcontractor status on ESA and Copernicus programmes. International revenue accounts for 88% of 2024 sales, and only 17% of revenue is dependent on public space programmes — a profile that is unusual for the European small-sat sector and that reduces single-agency concentration. The organisation employs 200-205 people across Spain, the US (Gainesville, FL), the UK (Waterbeach, via SuperSharp), and France (Bidart, via Satlantis France SAS), and is constructing a 13,000 sqm production facility in Leioa scheduled to open in 2028.

Growth is driven by a combination of platform-level productisation (FlexSat constellation, Graphium, IVSEN) and mission-level partnerships: SATLANTIS is the prime contractor for ESA's ARRAKIHS fast-class astrophysics mission (adopted June 2026), a newly selected NASA CSDA On-Ramp 2 data provider, and the exclusive supplier of optical payloads for the Polish Government's five-satellite Creotech partnership. Revenue grew 48% in 2024 to €26.3M and 82% in 2025 to €47.8M with €14.4M EBITDA, supported by a backlog exceeding €40M and cash reserves above €30M. The strategic positioning — proprietary optics, mission prime status on flagship programmes, exclusive regional channels, and a transition from bespoke hardware to a constellation-plus-data model — places SATLANTIS among the better-scaled European small-sat companies by 2025-2026 financial metrics.

Name

SATLANTIS

Legal name

SATLANTIS MICROSATS, S.A.

Website

https://satlantis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SATLANTIS designs, manufactures, and operates high-resolution optical payloads and small satellites for Earth observation and astrophysics, serving defence, energy (methane detection), agriculture, and space agency customers across Europe and North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Earth Observation Satellites

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB), Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM), Satellite/Aerial/Remote Sensing MRV (Methane plumes, land-use change) (EUAHADAL)

Keywords

• Earth observation satellites
• High-resolution space cameras
• Small satellite payloads
• Methane monitoring services
• Satellite imaging systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Bilbao

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Small Satellite Sales and Operations: More than 50% of income derived from small-satellite sales and operations. The company designs, manufactures, and operates complete Earth observation microsatellites, including customer-specific missions (e.g., Urdaneta-ARMSAT1 for Armenia, GEISAT for methane detection, Garai series).
2. Space Camera/Payload Sales: Sale of high and very high-resolution optical cameras (iSIM series) and payloads to satellite operators, space agencies, and defence customers. Includes visible, NIR, SWIR, and thermal infrared payloads.
3. Satellite Data and Monitoring Services: Revenue from exclusive satellite data rights (e.g., Encino acquiring exclusive rights to orbits covering North and South America from GEISAT satellite) and methane monitoring services delivered to energy sector customers. Processing and delivery of imagery and emission event reports.
4. End-to-End Solutions and Mission Services: Integrated full solutions delivered in short lead time, based on iSIM technology, providing Earth and Universe observation data products. Encompasses hardware, software, and services customizable to end-user needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Designs and manufactures high and very high-resolution optical imaging payloads (iSIM family of cameras) and complete small satellites for Earth observation and astrophysics missions. Provides end-to-end solutions combining proprietary hardware (cameras, microsatellites), software, and data services for defence, methane detection, agriculture, energy infrastructure, and space science customers globally.

Product overview

SATLANTIS provides full solutions for small satellites for Earth Observation and Universe Exploration, based on its core Space Optics Technology competency. The product portfolio centers on the iSIM (integrated Standard Imager for Microsatellites) family - including iSIM-90 and iSIM-170 models - which offer high and very high resolution optical imagers with video capability, covering PAN, RGB, NIR, SWIR, and TIR spectral ranges plus polarimetry. The company operates satellite products including GEISAT for methane/CH4 detection, HORACIO, GARAI A/B, FlexSat microsatellites, and Mantis ESA mission. Through its SuperSharp subsidiary (University of Cambridge spin-off), it offers thermal infrared (TIR) cameras including the upcoming Hibiscus series with 3m thermal resolution. Upcoming products include Graphium with 50cm visible resolution. End-to-end solutions encompass hardware, software, and services customizable to user needs. The company also serves as prime contractor for scientific missions like the ESA ARRAKIHS dark matter mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iSIM (integrated Standard Imager for Microsatellites): High and Very High-Resolution optical imagers for Earth Observation satellites with video capability
• FlexSat
• Graphium
• Hibiscus
• GEISAT

Products and services

• iSIM-170 Binocular Camera Flight model binocular camera with 6-inch diameter lenses combining visible and infrared wavelengths simultaneously with no moving parts. Delivers sub-meter resolution from ISS, supports multispectral, SWIR, polarimetry, and video capabilities. For defence, science, and Earth observation missions.
• iSIM-90 Camera Compact high-resolution VNIR-SWIR camera for microsatellites and CubeSats. Achieves 2-meter spatial resolution in visible/near-infrared and 13-meter resolution for methane detection bands. Doubles spatial resolution of comparable satellites.
• GEISAT Methane Detection Satellite Microsatellite dedicated to methane and greenhouse gas detection and oil & gas infrastructure monitoring. Features iSIM-90 VNIR-SWIR payload with sideways scanning capability to scan approximately 16,000 km of pipeline in under 10 minutes.
• FlexSat Microsatellite Constellation Planned constellation of five Earth-observation microsatellites with modular architecture, enabling both Earth observation and non-Earth imaging operations for government and commercial customers.
• Graphium Optical Payload Upcoming optical payload offering 50-centimeter resolution in visible imaging, scheduled to begin offering in 2027.
• Hibiscus SuperSharp Thermal Infrared Camera Thermal infrared camera series from SuperSharp subsidiary offering 3-meter resolution for thermal images, designed to detect thermal footprint of objects from space for agriculture (heat stress, forest fires) and energy efficiency (urban heat islands). Includes a deployable TIR variant.
• ARRAKIHS Mission Satellite Binocular telescope for ESA's ARRAKIHS fast astrophysics mission, adapted from iSIM-170 design and incorporating visible and infrared channels. Designed to image 100 galaxies like the Milky Way, reaching surface brightness 5 to 100 times deeper than best ground-based observatory images.
• IVSEN Microsatellite for Energy Networks Next-generation Earth observation microsatellite under ESA InCubed Programme, optimized for energy network monitoring with less than 0.5m resolution. Designed as a 'flying camera' with turnkey services for infrastructure monitoring.
• URDANETA-ARMSAT1 Satellite Earth observation satellite for the Armenian government, deployed in polar orbit at 530km altitude for emergency management, environmental monitoring, and other applications. Armenia's first sovereign satellite.
• Mantis ESA CubeSat ESA 12U-CubeSat mission with iSIM-90 VNIR payload for oil & gas sector service provision and Earth observation applications.
• GARAI A Microsatellite Microsatellite launched January 2025 with dual iSIM-90 and iSIM-170 payloads offering multispectral, SWIR, polarimetry, and video capabilities.
• GARAI B (INNOSAT UNAMUNO) Microsatellite Eighth mission and fifth fully integrated satellite (INNOSAT UNAMUNO) launched March 2026 with dual-channel instruments offering multispectral, SWIR, polarimetry, and video capabilities.
• HORACIO Methane CubeSat 16U CubeSat for methane detection with iSIM-90 VNIR-SWIR payload, completing the GEISAT constellation for CH4/GHG monitoring.
• End-to-End (E2E) Solutions Integrated full Earth observation solutions based on iSIM HR and VHR technology, offering comprehensive simultaneous coverage across PAN, RGB, NIR, SWIR, and TIR spectral ranges, plus video and polarimetry. Encompasses hardware, software, and data services customizable to user needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• iSIM-90 achieves 2-meter VNIR resolution and 13-meter SWIR resolution for methane detection — doubling the spatial resolution of comparable satellites
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• NASAflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 June 2026SATLANTIS selected by NASA as a Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) awardee under On-Ramp 2 Multiple Award Contract (max cumulative value $476M across all providers). SATLANTIS is one of eight newly added vendors offering thermal infrared, hyperspectral, and GNSS-R observations. Performance period through November 2028.
• European Space Agency (ESA)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 June 2026SATLANTIS is prime contractor for ESA's ARRAKIHS fast astrophysics mission (targeting launch end of 2030), studying dark matter via galaxy halo imaging. ESA also approved ESA's Sentinel-1 Next Generation programme in which Airbus provides radar payloads — SATLANTIS contributes to this Copernicus programme. ESA also approved the Arrakihs mission led by Spain with Satlantis as prime contractor. ESA InCubed programme supports IVSEN project.
• HEOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026MOU to deliver sovereign non-Earth imaging and space domain awareness capabilities to government and defence customers. Partnership enables SATLANTIS's existing and future satellites to autonomously conduct non-Earth imaging operations using HEO's computer vision techniques, mission planning methodology, and NEI software. Joint demonstration campaigns underway; jointly productised service targeted for government customers across Europe and beyond.
• SuperSharp Space Systems Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Strategic alliance involving SATLANTIS acquiring a controlling stake in SuperSharp, a UK-based spin-off from the University of Cambridge. Expands SuperSharp's capabilities in thermal infrared payloads for Earth Observation satellites and creates a UK-based competence centre. SuperSharp (founded 2017, part of SATLANTIS Group since 2023) specializes in electro-optical technologies in TIR and is developing a new deployable TIR camera with 3m resolution (Hibiscus series).
• Alén SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Consortium partner in IVSEN project (Integrated VHR Satellite for Energy Networks) under ESA InCubed programme. Alén Space leads development of state-of-the-art satellite structure and on-board computer for the VHR satellite platform optimized for energy network monitoring.
• DHV TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Consortium partner in IVSEN project. Leads development of the power subsystem for the satellite platform, including Power Conversion and Distribution Unit (PCDU), battery module, and solar panels, meeting stringent mission-specific requirements.
• GeoAI AnalyticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Consortium partner in IVSEN project. Leads the Data Segment developing analytical framework and AI algorithms that transform VHR satellite imagery into operational intelligence for the energy sector. Designs predictive models, digital twins, and 3D environments for infrastructure assessment and risk anticipation.
• Creotech InstrumentscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025MOU signed for joint manufacturing of five very high-resolution Earth Observation satellites for the Polish government. Combines SATLANTIS's VHR optical systems (visible to thermal spectrum) with Creotech's satellite platform design and manufacturing expertise. Aims to expand into Northern Europe and establish a SATLANTIS subsidiary in Poland. Ceremony attended by Polish Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański and Basque Minister Mikel Jauregi.
• University of DeustominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025Collaboration to create 'SATLANTIS-DEUSTO Technology Classroom' and build the University of Deusto's first nanosatellite. Multidisciplinary student team guided by SATLANTIS experts will handle mechanical design, electronic systems, and telecommunications during 2025–2026 academic year. Aims to train future space sector professionals and strengthen academia-industry links.
• ESTIA Engineering SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024Technological collaboration launched with ESTIA Engineering School (supported by France 2030) to develop innovative projects in image processing and satellite data exploitation. Based at Izarbel Innovation Hub where Satlantis France is located. Strengthens space sector influence in Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
• Encino Environmental ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 April 2024One of the largest contracts in the SmallSat industry. Encino acquired exclusive rights to data from all orbits covering North America and parts of South America from the GEISAT-Precursor satellite (launched June 2023) for methane emission detection and high-resolution visual monitoring across oil & gas, biogas, landfills, and power infrastructure. Involves processing imagery, delivering visual data, and reporting emission events to Encino customers.
• Agriculture Intelligence, Inc. (AgIntel)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2023MOU for rapid crop evaluation combining SATLANTIS's very high-resolution satellite imagery with AgIntel's Agroview AI cloud platform. Partnership aims to advance precision agriculture for Florida's citrus industry and specialty crops, merging satellite and drone data for comprehensive field monitoring. Both companies are resident clients at UF Innovate | Accelerate at The Hub.
• Sean O'KeefeminorOthers · 31 March 2022Appointed Chairman of the Board of Satlantis. Former NASA Administrator, Secretary of the Navy, Deputy Director of OMB, and Deputy Assistant to the President. Provides strategic governance and US government relations expertise.
• ESAflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean Space Agency — institutional partner for multiple missions including ARRAKIHS (prime contractor), Mantis CubeSat (iSIM-90 VNIR), and IVSEN (InCubed programme). ESA provides institutional procurement channel and funding for European space technology development.
• NETON Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funded by CDTI, the NETON project (New Technologies in the New Space Value Chain for Spanish VHR+ Earth Observation) is a consortium of four companies (SATLANTIS, LIDAX Ingeniería, SANZAR, GeoAI Tech) and four research centres (INTA, Tekniker, IDR, Universidad Camilo José Cela). Aims to develop a 100% Spanish Earth observation mission with ≤50cm resolution.
• Basque InvestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBasque regional investment agency that supported establishment of Satlantis France in Bidart, alongside backing from Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Basque Country Agglomeration Community, Bayonne Basque Country Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Business France Iberica, and Estia Entreprendre.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Satellogic: Latin American-founded SmallSat Earth observation operator building a VHR constellation; competes head-to-head with SATLANTIS on sub-meter EO imagery and government/defence customers.
• Planet Labs PBC: Public SmallSat Earth observation company operating the largest commercial fleet; direct competitor to SATLANTIS for EO data, payload sales, and government contracts (including US/ESA programmes).
• ICEYE: Small-satellite SAR Earth observation operator; comparable business model as a vertically integrated EO smallsat and payload manufacturer selling data to defence and commercial customers.
• BlackSky Holdings: Small-satellite VHR Earth observation and geospatial analytics company serving defence, intelligence, and commercial markets; comparable scale and customer profile to SATLANTIS.
• Open Cosmos: European small-satellite operator offering end-to-end EO mission services; comparable mission-as-a-service model and customer mix of institutional and commercial users.

Emerging players

• GHGSat: Specialist satellite operator focused on methane and greenhouse gas detection using high-resolution imaging; directly comparable to SATLANTIS's GEISAT methane mission and methane-data product line.
• Astro Digital (OidOO): Small-satellite EO platform builder with focus on rapid mission deployment and constellation operations; overlapping customer base with SATLANTIS on the EO/institutional side.

Broad incumbents

• SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd): Long-established small-satellite manufacturer (part of Airbus Defence and Space) building EO platforms for civil and commercial customers; a broader incumbent in the same EO smallsat market that SATLANTIS addresses.
• Maxar Technologies: Large incumbent provider of VHR Earth observation satellites, imagery, and geospatial intelligence; overlaps with SATLANTIS in defence and government EO markets as a much larger competitor.

Others

• Carbon Mapper Coalition: Public-interest initiative deploying satellites dedicated to methane and CO2 plume detection; closely tied to SATLANTIS's methane MRV use case and the broader emissions-monitoring ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/satlantis_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@satlantis9378
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10200958

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors11 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SATLANTIS