What Tyvak International does

Tyvak International SRL is a Turin, Italy-based designer, manufacturer, integrator, and operator of nano- and microsatellites (10–300 kg) in 3U, 6U, and 12U CubeSat form factors. Founded in 2015 by Marco Villa as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation (itself acquired by Lockheed Martin for $450 million in October 2024), the company has grown to approximately 70 employees and reported annual revenues exceeding €10 million as of February 2026, with a cumulative flight heritage of 18 satellites launched across LEO and deep space. Tyvak serves institutional customers including the European Space Agency (ESA prime contractor for Milani, Farinella/Ramses, 5G-LIDE, and Space Rider), the Italian Space Agency (ASI for IPERDRONE and FUTURE), the European Defence Agency (EDA HEDI VLEO), and NASA (via Terran Orbital), alongside commercial constellation operators such as Fleet Space Technologies (7 Centauri satellites), Eutelsat (ELO Alpha), Elbit Systems (COMMTRAIL), and CrunchLabs (SAT GUS).

The company's technology stack rests on proprietary avionics platforms — Intrepid, Endeavour, MRK2, MKII/Triumph/Thriumph, and the original Flatsat platform developed by its founders — built on Terran Orbital's spacecraft heritage. In-house capabilities include an ISO-7 Cleanroom, EMI/EMC Lab, Thermal Ambient Chambers, Mechanical/Rework Lab, ESD Work Bench, and a 24/7 Mission Operations Center in Torino commanding all Tyvak satellites on-orbit. Notable technical achievements include world-first all-metal 3D-printed patch antennas (Centauri-5), the IPERDRONE cold gas propulsion system co-developed with T4I for proximity operations, the 5G-LIDE direct 5G nanosatellite using 3GPP-standard K/Ka-band protocols, and the ASPECT hyperspectral imager for asteroid surface composition mapping. The company also operates a global ground station network and offers launch brokering and integration services across SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Arianespace, ISRO, ULA, and Antares.

Tyvak's revenue model combines (1) institutional prime contracting on multi-year milestone-based ESA/ASI/EDA contracts (e.g., €4.7M Ramses/Farinella, $4.7M Space Rider), (2) build-to-print and custom satellite manufacturing for commercial constellation operators as one-time hardware sales, (3) end-to-end managed services including mission design, launch brokering, and on-orbit operations from the Torino Mission Operations Center, and (4) launch brokering and integration services as a channel partner. Distribution is direct sales-led, with Tyvak positioned as the lead integrator of multi-party European consortia of 12+ entities across Italy, Finland, and the Czech Republic for flagship missions.

Name

Tyvak International

Legal name

Tyvak International SRL

Website

https://tyvak.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tyvak International is a Turin-based designer, manufacturer, and operator of nano- and microsatellites (CubeSats) for institutional space agencies and commercial constellation operators, offering end-to-end mission services from design through in-orbit operations under parent Terran Orbital/Lockheed Martin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nanosatellite and CubeSat Manufacturing

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Satellite Telecommunications (517410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE), Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD), Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) for Space Systems (IMABACAG), Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI), Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF)

Keywords

• CubeSat manufacturing
• Nanosatellite mission services
• Spacecraft integration
• Deep-space small satellites
• Satellite constellation deployment

Headquarters

HQ city

Torino

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Prime Contract Space Missions: Revenue from acting as prime contractor for institutional space missions (e.g., €4.7 million Ramses/Farinella contract from ESA); Tyvak coordinates consortia of European companies and universities and receives milestone-based payments.
2. Commercial Constellation Satellite Manufacturing: Build-to-print/custom satellite manufacturing for commercial constellation operators (e.g., 7 satellites delivered to Fleet Space Technologies for Centauri constellation); one-time hardware sales per satellite.
3. End-to-End Mission Services (Design to Data Delivery): Revenue from full-service offerings including satellite design, production, launch planning/brokering, mission operations, and on-orbit support delivered from Tyvak's Mission Operations Center and global ground station network.
4. Launch Brokering & Integration Services: Revenue from coordinating and securing launch opportunities with global launch providers, including flight-proven deployers and integration services for third-party satellite operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Core offering

Tyvak International designs, manufactures, integrates, and operates nano- and microsatellites (10–300 kg) in 3U, 6U, and 12U CubeSat form factors for institutional and commercial customers. Offerings span the full mission lifecycle — satellite design and production, launch brokering and integration, Assembly/Integration/Test (AI&T), and on-orbit mission operations from its Torino Mission Operations Center. The company also delivers the underlying subsystem stack (GNC, EPS, CDH, payload integration, satellite dispensers) on proprietary Intrepid, Endeavour, and Thriumph/Triumph avionics platforms.

Product overview

Tyvak International delivers an end-to-end nano- and microsatellite platform portfolio rather than a single unified product. Its core offering is the design, manufacture, integration, and in-orbit operation of CubeSats (primarily 3U, 6U, and 12U form factors, plus the Thriumph/Triumph platform used on missions such as MILANI and the Centauri series), supported by a complete subsystem stack — Guidance, Navigation and Control, Electrical Power Systems, Command and Data Handling, Payload Integration, and Satellite Dispensers — built on Terran Orbital's Intrepid and Endeavour heritage platforms. The company wraps this hardware foundation with full mission services: Mission Design and Planning, Launch Brokering and Integration, Assembly/Integration/Test (AI&T) with an ISO-7 Cleanroom, a global Ground Stations and Networking network, and a Torino-based Mission Operations Center. On top of the platform, Tyvak International delivers named mission products. MILANI is its 6U deep-space CubeSat for ESA's Hera planetary-defence mission to Didymos; Farinella extends this to ESA's RAMSES mission to Apophis. 5G-LIDE is a 12U nanosatellite proving direct 5G broadband from LEO via 3GPP-standard K/Ka-band links. SAT GUS is the 12U world-first selfie-from-space CubeSat developed with CrunchLabs. IPERDRONE.0 is an ASI-funded 6U in-orbit-servicing demonstrator. The Centauri-3 through Centauri-6 series (for Fleet Space Technologies' IoT and mineral-exploration constellation), Eutelsat's ELO Alpha, and Elbit Systems' COMMTRAIL illustrate the company's commercial IoT and search-and-rescue offering, while FUTURE and the Hera-proximity-operations work push the platform toward autonomous deep-space navigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MILANI nanosatellite (ESA Hera mission) Tyvak International's 6U deep-space CubeSat developed as prime contractor for ESA's Hera planetary defence mission. Performs visual inspection and dust detection of the Didymos asteroid system following NASA's DART impact; carries ASPECT hyperspectral imager, VISTA dust detector, Tyvak Navigation Camera, and INFN laser reflectors. Built on the Thriumph/Triumph platform and one of ESA's first deep-space nanosatellites.
• Farinella CubeSat (ESA RAMSES mission) 6U CubeSat prime-contracted to Tyvak International for ESA's RAMSES planetary defence mission to asteroid Apophis, named after Italian scientist Paolo Farinella. Hybrid platform combining MILANI's bus and dust analyser with Juventas' low-frequency radar; carries Horus optical instrument (science imager and navigation camera) and Vista dust detector. CDR completed January 2026; launch scheduled 2028 with arrival February 2029.
• 5G-LIDE nanosatellite (5G/6G demonstration) 12U nanosatellite developed by Tyvak International as prime contractor under ESA's ARTES Space for 5G/6G programme with ASI support. Performs first-ever live demonstration of bidirectional direct 5G broadband access from a nanosatellite to compact ground devices via K/Ka-band link using 3GPP-standard protocols, with a one-year mission evaluating throughput, latency, and signal-to-noise ratio. Payload by PICOSATS; ground infrastructure by RAME.
• SAT GUS CubeSat 12U CubeSat developed by Tyvak International in partnership with CrunchLabs and YouTube engineer Mark Rober. World's first selfie-from-space satellite operating at ~500 km LEO, carrying a Redwire imaging system and a Google Pixel smartphone that displays user-submitted selfies from CrunchLabs' Space Selfie portal with Earth's curvature as background.
• IPERDRONE.0 nanosatellite 6U nanosatellite funded by ASI as the first risk-reduction step of the IPERDRONE programme for in-orbit servicing and proximity operations. Validates GNC algorithms, optical payload for external inspection, and cold-gas propulsion co-developed with T4I for rendezvous with non-cooperative targets and precisely targeted reentry.
• COMMTRAIL nanosatellite Tyvak International's first commercial 3U nanosatellite, built for Elbit Systems. On-orbit technology demonstration detecting machine-to-machine distress signals (SMS and audio) via dedicated UHF radio and a deployable helix antenna to enable future search-and-rescue missions.
• Centauri-6 satellite Sixth satellite in Fleet Space Technologies' Centauri constellation, developed in collaboration with Tyvak International. Built on Tyvak's avionics platform with Fleet Space's 3D-printed IoT payload and ion electric propulsion system powered by solar panels. Provides greater uplink capacity and redundancy for the ExoSphere mineral exploration constellation.
• CENTAURI-5 nanosatellite Third satellite Tyvak International built for Fleet Space Technologies; 6U nanosatellite (~12 kg) at ~530 km LEO based on the Thriumph platform. Adds capacity, lower latency, and network redundancy to the Centauri constellation with radiation-mitigation upgrades, direct-to-ground S-band uplink, digital beamforming, and world-first all-metal 3D-printed patch antennas for 2x data capacity.
• CENTAURI-4 nanosatellite Seventh nanosatellite Tyvak International built for Fleet Space. First nanosatellite to incorporate digital beamforming technology with an AI-driven computer server, lightweight beam-steering antenna, and satellite modem. Based on Terran Orbital's Triumph platform.
• Eutelsat ELO Alpha nanosatellite Tyvak International's sixth nanosatellite and a prototype for Eutelsat's planned low-Earth-orbit IoT constellation. 6U nanosatellite in 500–600 km sun-synchronous orbit assessing narrowband LEO IoT connectivity; downlinks daily to a Svalbard ground station. Mission operations performed by Tyvak International from Torino.
• Centauri-3 nanosatellite Pathfinder 6U nanosatellite built by Tyvak International for Fleet Space Technologies' planned 140-satellite IoT constellation. Less than 10 kg, shoe-box sized, with 119 times the data capacity of Centauri 1 & 2. Designed for energy, utilities, and resource-industry applications.
• Tyvak Intrepid Platform Terran Orbital/Tyvak International's earliest spacecraft platform, built off the CubeSat-standard work of co-founder Jordi Puig-Suari at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Intrepid spacecraft utilise exterior panels for most functions, leaving almost the entirety of the interior for payload volume.
• Tyvak Endeavour Platform Terran Orbital/Tyvak International's previous-generation spacecraft hardware platform with highly integrated components for extremely compact satellites, optimised for lowest cost and highest payload volume. First commercial CubeSats with propulsion and precision control brought to market.
• Thriumph / Triumph Platform 6U CubeSat platform used by multiple Tyvak International missions (MILANI, Centauri-4, Centauri-5, PATHFINDER-1, PATHFINDER-3, GEOSTARE SV2), built on the state-of-the-art MKII Avionics and accommodating different technology payloads without complete spacecraft redesign.
• Launch Brokering and Integration Service Specialised smallsat launch brokering and integration service coordinating launch opportunities with nearly every global launch provider (SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Arianespace, ISRO, ULA, Antares), including flight-proven deployers, full launch integration analysis, Range Safety Approval (including propulsion), and interface control documentation.
• Mission Operations Service Turin-based Mission Operations Center managing multiple vehicles and missions simultaneously, combined with the global ground-station network to deliver 24/7 on-orbit command, control, and data delivery services to customers worldwide. Includes Day-in-the-Life validation in flight-like, plugs-out state prior to launch.
• Ground Stations and Networking Service World-wide network of Terran Orbital and partner ground stations delivering autonomous communications capabilities so customer data is received, routed, processed, and delivered timely and securely.
• Mission Design and Planning Service Mission engineering service using state-of-the-art tools to design and plan constellation-level operations and communications scenarios, including optimised payload tasking for efficiency and performance, delivered with partners.
• Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) Service AI&T service with modern tools for issue tracking, inventory management, procedure execution, and test automation providing complete traceability and comprehensive test coverage at both sub-system and integrated-system level. Backed by in-house capabilities including Thermal Ambient Chambers, EMI/EMC Lab, Mechanical/Rework Lab, ISO-7 Cleanroom, ESD Work Bench, Power Dissipation testing, Thermal Infrared analysis, and Advanced Microscope Optical Inspection.

Named customers14 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and minor.

• Italian Space Agency (ASI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Italian Space Agency co-funds and supports Tyvak's IPERDRONE (proximity operations and in-orbit servicing) and FUTURE (autonomous navigation) programs, as well as the Ramses/Farinella deep-space mission. ASI also supports the 5G-LIDE mission.
• OHB ItaliaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026OHB Italia is developing the RAMSES mothercraft aboard which Tyvak's Farinella CubeSat will operate for ESA's mission to asteroid Apophis. Farinella will be one of two onboard CubeSats.
• PICOSATS srlmajorTechnology or Integration · 24 July 2025PICOSATS developed the 5G-LIDE satellite payload, including two K/Ka transponders and four patch-array antennas, as part of the all-Italian consortium led by Tyvak International for ESA's ARTES program.
• Radio Analog Micro Electronics (RAME) srlmajorTechnology or Integration · 24 July 2025RAME developed the 5G-LIDE ground infrastructure — a User Equipment terminal and a Gateway terminal functioning as a base station and node in the 5G terrestrial network.
• European Space Agency (ESA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2025Tyvak International is the prime contractor for ESA's Milani (Hera planetary defense) and Farinella (Ramses/Apophis) CubeSats, as well as the 5G-LIDE demonstration. Awarded a €4.7M contract from the Ramses mission preparation funding. Leads European consortia of multiple entities from Italy, Finland, and Czech Republic.
• CrunchLabs / Mark RobermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2025Tyvak International partnered with YouTube engineer Mark Rober and CrunchLabs to develop SAT GUS, the world's first space-selfie satellite, launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-12 on January 14, 2025.
• Terran Orbital Corporation (Lockheed Martin)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2024Tyvak International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation, which was acquired by Lockheed Martin for $450 million in October 2024. Provides platform/avionics heritage, global ground station network, and parent-company resources.
• European Defence Agency (EDA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2024Tyvak secured a service subcontract under EDA's Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI) proof-of-concept prototype 2023 for Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellite exploration. Leads Phase A Preliminary Design Review in consortium with CNIT, FlySight, and Politecnico di Milano.
• CNITminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 April 2024CNIT serves as the prime contractor of the consortium in the EDA HEDI VLEO project, with Tyvak International, FlySight, and Politecnico di Milano as partners.
• FlySightminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 April 2024FlySight collaborates with Tyvak International in the EDA HEDI VLEO consortium led by CNIT.
• Politecnico di MilanominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 April 2024Politecnico di Milano collaborates with Tyvak International in the EDA HEDI VLEO consortium and developed the image-processing algorithms for Milani's Navigation Camera.
• Politecnico di MilanomajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 March 2024Politecnico di Milano is part of Tyvak's Milani mission consortium, supporting image processing algorithms for the Navigation Camera and broader mission science.
• Politecnico di TorinomajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 March 2024Politecnico di Torino is part of Tyvak's Milani mission consortium and supports the SPEI Sat project with Tyvak International.
• ALTEC (Aerospace Logistics Technology Engineering Company)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 March 2024ALTEC is part of Tyvak's Milani mission consortium providing engineering support.
• Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 March 2024INAF developed the VISTA (Volatile In-Situ Thermogravimetre Analyser) dust detector for Milani and provides laser reflectors via INFN.
• VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland)majorTechnology or Integration · 19 March 2024VTT developed the ASPECT hyperspectral imager for Milani, combining visible and near-infrared wavelengths to survey asteroid surfaces.
• Brno University of TechnologyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 March 2024Czech university member of Tyvak's Milani mission consortium.
• University of HelsinkiminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 March 2024Finnish university member of Tyvak's Milani mission consortium.
• Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of SciencesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 March 2024Czech academy member of Tyvak's Milani mission consortium.
• Polytechnic University of TurinminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 October 2023Polytechnic University of Turin is part of the consortium under Tyvak's $4.7M / €4.5M ESA Space Rider proximity operations and in-orbit servicing contract.
• University of PadovaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 October 2023University of Padova is part of the consortium under Tyvak's ESA Space Rider proximity operations and in-orbit servicing contract.
• StellarProject SRLminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 October 2023StellarProject SRL is part of the consortium under Tyvak's ESA Space Rider proximity operations and in-orbit servicing contract.
• Fleet Space TechnologiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 March 2021Tyvak International has built 7 satellites for Fleet Space's Centauri constellation (Centauri-3, 4, 5, 6, and earlier units) for IoT and mineral exploration. Centauri-6 launched April 7, 2024 on SpaceX Bandwagon-1.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• ICEYE: ICEYE is a Finnish SAR satellite operator and smallsat manufacturer building and operating a commercial constellation. Comparable to Tyvak as a European smallsat prime with both institutional and commercial customers, though focused on SAR rather than IoT/deep-space.
• GomSpace: GomSpace is a Danish manufacturer of nanosatellites, CubeSats, and smallsat subsystems for institutional and commercial customers. Directly comparable to Tyvak as a European CubeSat prime serving ESA, commercial constellation operators, and scientific missions.
• AAC Clyde Space: AAC Clyde Space is a Swedish smallsat manufacturer and mission services provider offering CubeSat platforms, subsystems, and constellation operations. Directly competes with Tyvak in the European institutional and commercial smallsat market.
• NanoAvionics: NanoAvionics is a Lithuanian smallsat bus manufacturer and mission integrator offering 6U, 12U, and larger smallsat platforms. Comparable to Tyvak as a European CubeSat prime serving commercial IoT and Earth observation constellation customers.
• Satellogic: Satellogic is a vertically-integrated Earth observation smallsat operator and manufacturer. Comparable to Tyvak as a smallsat manufacturer building commercial constellations, though focused on EO rather than IoT/deep-space missions.
• Innovative Solutions In Space (ISIS): ISIS is a Dutch CubeSat subsystem manufacturer and smallsat mission integrator serving institutional and academic customers. Comparable to Tyvak as a European smallsat supplier, particularly as a competitor on ESA institutional tenders.

Broad incumbents

• Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL): SSTL is a UK-based smallsat pioneer and subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space, offering a broad range of Earth observation, science, and technology-demonstration smallsats. Comparable to Tyvak as a European smallsat prime, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• OHB Italia: OHB Italia is a mid-sized Italian space prime and a strategic partner of Tyvak on the RAMSES mission (Farinella CubeSat will fly aboard OHB Italia's RAMSES mothercraft). Comparable as a domestic Italian ESA prime competing for adjacent institutional missions, while also serving as a customer/partner.
• Lockheed Martin Space: Lockheed Martin is the US prime contractor that acquired Tyvak's parent Terran Orbital in October 2024 for $450M. As the ultimate parent, it provides strategic oversight, capital, and access to US/NATO institutional customers, while also being a potential competitor on larger satellite programmes.

Emerging players

• EnduroSat: EnduroSat is a Bulgarian CubeSat platform provider and mission integrator focused on accessible smallsat solutions for commercial and academic customers. Comparable to Tyvak in the European CubeSat market, but with a broader focus on modular platforms and shared satellite services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TyvakIntl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/11065084

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tyvak International