HEO

What HEO does

HEO is an Australian-headquartered space technology company that pioneered commercial non-Earth imaging (NEI) — the capture and analysis of high-resolution imagery of objects in orbit rather than the Earth's surface. Founded in 2016 by Dr. Will Crowe and Dr. Hiranya Jayakody, both UNSW PhD graduates, HEO operates a distributed network of 40+ in-orbit NEI sensors built on its own Holmes Mk2 (3.8 kg, 34 cm GSD) and Adler Mk2 (8.5 kg, 22 cm GSD) hosted-payload cameras combined with partner Earth observation constellations. Its product stack comprises three layers: HEO Inspect 3.0, a web app and API for catalogue exploration, sensor tasking, and analytics delivery; Tessera, an end-to-end sovereign NEI software suite for allied governments; and the underlying camera hardware sold to commercial and government integrators.

HEO serves three primary solution verticals: defence and intelligence agencies (persistent in-orbit insight for national security, including a seven-figure NRO Strategic Commercial Enhancements contract), satellite operators (on-demand anomaly detection, commissioning support, and constellation monitoring for clients such as BlackSky, Sidus Space, and Satellogic), and civil governments (space situational awareness, debris tracking, and re-entry support for agencies including the Australian and UK Space Agencies). The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales for government and defence accounts with a self-service freemium tier on HEO Inspect for commercial users, supplemented by OEM hosted-payload integration partnerships. HEO has offices in Sydney (global HQ), London, Arlington VA (HEO USA), and Tokyo, raised a $12M AUD Series A in 2024, and is targeting a $30M AUD Series B in 2026.

Name

HEO

Legal name

High Earth Orbit Robotics Pty Ltd

Website

https://heospace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEO is an Australian-founded space technology company providing commercial non-Earth imaging (NEI) — high-resolution imagery and analytics of orbital objects — via its HEO Inspect platform, Tessera sovereign software, and hosted-payload cameras, serving defence agencies, satellite operators, and civil governments globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Domain Awareness

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)

Keywords

• Non-earth imaging
• Space domain awareness
• Satellite inspection services
• In-orbit imaging cameras
• Space situational awareness

Headquarters

HQ city

Haymarket

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. NEI Software Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to HEO Inspect platform for imagery tasking, catalogue access, and analytics. Tiered plans for different customer types.
2. Hosted NEI Payload Services: HEO USA provides NEI cameras as hosted payloads on partner spacecraft, with data services delivered under subscription contracts. HEO became first company to receive NOAA approval to fly Holmes cameras as hosted payloads on U.S.-flagged spacecraft in 2024.
3. NEI Camera Sales: Sale of Holmes and Adler NEI cameras to government and commercial partners for sovereign NEI capability. Cameras offered with minimal NRE path to capability.
4. Government Contracts: Contracts with national defence and intelligence agencies, including seven-figure NRO contract. Defence and intelligence customers receive persistent insight into orbital objects for national security applications.
5. NRO Strategic Commercial Enhancements Contracts: NRO awarded contracts to HEO under Strategic Commercial Enhancements program for access to diverse remote sensing technologies for national security.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HEO (High Earth Orbit Robotics) operates a commercial non-Earth imaging (NEI) platform that captures high-resolution imagery of objects in orbit rather than the Earth surface. The company combines proprietary software (HEO Inspect 3.0 platform and Tessera sovereign mission suite) with purpose-built space cameras (Holmes Mk2 and Adler Mk2) deployed as hosted payloads on partner spacecraft to deliver identification, characterization, pattern-of-life analysis, and anomaly detection services for satellites and orbital objects.

Product overview

HEO is a space technology company that offers a unified non-Earth imaging (NEI) platform delivering high-resolution satellite inspection and space domain awareness services. The core product is HEO Inspect 3.0, a web application and API interface that connects to HEO's distributed network of in-orbit NEI sensors. The hardware portfolio includes the Holmes Mk2 (compact, 34cm resolution) and Adler Mk2 (larger aperture, 22cm resolution) cameras that integrate as hosted payloads on partner spacecraft. Tessera is the sovereign NEI software suite providing command and control, analytics, and visualization capabilities. HEO serves three primary solution verticals: Defence & Intelligence, Satellite Operators, and Civil Governments. The company operates globally with entities in Australia (headquarters), USA, UK, and Japan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HEO Inspect 3.0: Web app and API interface for non-Earth imaging and insights, allowing users to explore NEI catalogue, task sensors, initiate captures, and retrieve imagery
• Holmes Mk1
• Holmes Mk2
• Adler Mk2
• Tessera

Products and services

• HEO Inspect 3.0 Web app and API interface that serves as the gateway to HEO's core non-Earth imaging and insights platform. Connects in-orbit sensors, allows real-time data feasibility assessment, mission tasking, image capture initiation, and retrieval of imagery and analytics at scale.
• Holmes Mk2 Camera HEO's most compact non-Earth imaging payload. Flight-proven with minimal integration effort, operates as a hosted payload with negligible impact on host's primary mission. Resolution: 34 cm GSD @100km, Mass: 3.8 kg.
• Adler Mk2 Camera HEO's larger-aperture non-Earth imaging payload. Flight-proven with minimal integration effort, operates as hosted payload for operators to field NEI capability quickly without bespoke development. Resolution: 22 cm GSD @100km, Mass: 8.5 kg.
• Tessera

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,500+ successful NEI missions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Sidus SpacecoreTechnology or IntegrationHEO USA's NEI camera (Holmes Mk1) operates as hosted payload aboard Sidus Space's LizzieSat-3. Multi-contract relationship with subscription data service. Sidus Space provides stable platform hosting and bus-level commissioning validation.
• SatellogiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpanded partnership for exclusive access to Satellogic's high-resolution satellite constellation for space domain awareness. Satellogic delivers NextGen satellites and HEO provides NEI mission planning and analytics.
• UNSW Canberra SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Australia's first Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) mission using Continuum-1 satellite. Supported by Defence Trailblazer's Advanced Innovation Fund. Aims to establish sovereign RPO capability.
• BlackSkycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven-figure space domain awareness expansion contract for fully automated NEI missions across BlackSky constellation. HEO provides software integration and tasking for non-Earth imaging.
• SATLANTIScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed March 2026 to deliver sovereign SDA capabilities to government customers. Joint NEI demonstration campaigns underway. HEO's software integrated into SATLANTIS platforms (HORACIO, GEISAT) for autonomous NEI operations.
• BAE SystemssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to unlock deeper insights from resolved non-Earth imagery using BAE Systems capabilities.
• AstroscalesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to advance space monitoring capabilities for allied nations, combining HEO's NEI with Astroscale's life extension and inspection services.
• AxelspacesupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration of 5 space-based sensors into HEO Inspect software, expanding sensor network coverage.
• Impulse SpacesupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for NEI services, leveraging Impulse Space platforms for non-Earth imaging capabilities.
• Quantum AerosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring non-Earth imaging to South Korea, expanding HEO's Asia-Pacific presence.
• SatVusupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth HEO and SatVu were evaluated by NRO under Strategic Commercial Enhancements program for various imaging and observation technologies.
• Sierra Nevada CorporationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvaluated alongside HEO by NRO for various imaging and observation technologies under Strategic Commercial Enhancements program.
• University of Sydney and ThalessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on space object detection and tracking, combining academic expertise with industry and defence capabilities.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ExoAnalytic Solutions: US-based provider of space domain awareness solutions tracking objects in GEO and LEO for defence and intelligence customers. Closely comparable to HEO in serving national security SDA needs, with proprietary sensor network and analytics, though focused on ground-based optical tracking rather than space-based NEI.
• LeoLabs: US-based commercial provider of space situational awareness and tracking services using a global radar network. Directly comparable to HEO as a commercial SDA company serving satellite operators, defence agencies, and governments, though differentiated by radar-based tracking vs. HEO's space-based NEI imagery.
• Slingshot Aerospace: US-based space situational awareness and space traffic management company serving commercial and defence customers with analytics and sensor networks. Comparable to HEO in providing SDA data products and analytics for satellite operators, defence, and intelligence agencies.
• BlackSky Technology: US-based satellite operator and geospatial intelligence company providing high-revisit Earth imagery, with growing SDA capabilities. Comparable to HEO both as a satellite operator customer (BlackSky seven-figure NEI expansion contract) and as a peer in space-based intelligence services, though focused on Earth observation rather than non-Earth imaging.
• Satellogic: US/Argentina-based Earth observation satellite operator with high-resolution constellation. Comparable to HEO as a strategic partner (exclusive NEI partnership, Continuum-1 satellite acquisition) and as a peer in commercial space-based imaging, with overlapping defence and government customer base.
• SATLANTIS: Spanish-based Earth observation and space situational awareness company building small satellites with high-resolution cameras. Comparable to HEO as a strategic partner (MoU for sovereign SDA capabilities, HEO software integrated into SATLANTIS platforms HORACIO and GEISAT) and as a peer in space-based imaging instrumentation.

Emerging players

• Astroscale: Japan-based in-orbit servicing and space situational awareness company focused on debris removal and satellite life extension. Comparable to HEO as a strategic partner in space monitoring for allied nations, with overlapping defence and government customers, though differentiated by active debris removal vs. passive imaging.
• Sidus Space: US-based space-as-a-service company providing satellite manufacturing and hosted payload services. Comparable to HEO as a hosted payload partner (LizzieSat-3 with Holmes camera) and as an emerging player in commercial space services, though Sidus operates upstream in manufacturing rather than analytics.

Broad incumbents

• Maxar Technologies: US-based large prime satellite operator and geospatial intelligence provider serving US defence and intelligence agencies. Comparable to HEO as a competitor for space-based imagery contracts with NRO and allied governments, though Maxar operates a much broader Earth observation portfolio and is a much larger incumbent.
• Planet Labs: US-based commercial satellite operator providing daily Earth imagery with the largest commercial constellation. Comparable to HEO as a peer in commercial space-based imagery serving defence, intelligence, and commercial customers, though focused on Earth observation at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heospace
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeNTo1I7PY8m1AANgzlm-xw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/high-earth-orbit-robotics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors15 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 HEO