Neo Space Group
Neo Space Group (NSG) is a PIF-owned Saudi space services company providing multi-orbit in-flight connectivity (NSG Skywaves®) and cloud-native geospatial intelligence (NeoMaps, UP42) to airlines, governments, and enterprises across aviation, defense, and commercial sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Neo Space Group does
Neo Space Group (NSG) is a Saudi Arabian space services company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and launched in May 2024 as a national champion under Saudi Vision 2030. Headquartered in Riyadh, the company operates an integrated multi-orbit (GEO/MEO/LEO) satellite communications business alongside a cloud-native geospatial intelligence stack, serving aviation, government, defense, energy, maritime, and agriculture customers globally, with particular focus on the Kingdom.
NSG's commercial portfolio centers on two pillars. The first is NSG Skywaves®, an end-to-end in-flight connectivity solution that combines the Skywaves® traffic management platform, the SkyFly passenger portal (from acquired Display Interactive), the SES Open Orbits™ multi-orbit Ka-band network, and the ThinKom Ka2517 antenna to deliver up to 200–300 Mbps to commercial airline fleets. The second pillar is NSG Geospatial Services, which spans the UP42 cloud-native Earth Observation marketplace (80+ data providers, API/Python SDK), the NeoMaps national geospatial analytics platform (developed and hosted entirely by Saudi talent), Neo Atlas foundational GIS datasets, the Neo Intelligence Cell, and the Neo Data Factory. Complementary business units include Satellite Capacity Leasing, Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT), and a planned Global Space Venture Capital Fund, all in pre-launch or early-launch phase.
NSG generates revenue through a mix of multi-year enterprise IFC contracts with airlines, transaction-based marketplace commissions and usage fees on UP42 (sa.up42.com), project-based and subscription revenue from government and commercial geospatial customers, and planned GEO/MEO satellite capacity leasing. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, OEM line-fit channels (Airbus HBCplus, Boeing), self-serve marketplace access, and channel partners (ThinKom, Eclipse Global Connectivity, G&S SatCom, Esri). As of late 2025–2026, NSG reported 350+ aircraft activated or in backlog across six airline customers (Saudia, Riyadh Air, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, AEGEAN), positioning it as one of the few sovereign-backed, vertically integrated multi-orbit IFC and EO providers outside the traditional Western incumbents.
Neo Space Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Neo Space Group
- Legal name
- NEO SPACE GROUP
- Website
- https://neospacegroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Neo Space Group (NSG) is a PIF-owned Saudi space services company providing multi-orbit in-flight connectivity (NSG Skywaves®) and cloud-native geospatial intelligence (NeoMaps, UP42) to airlines, governments, and enterprises across aviation, defense, and commercial sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Neo Space Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Satellite Communications & Geospatial Services
- NAICS
- Satellite Telecommunications (51741)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services) (HDAIAJAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Satellite Ground Segment & Gateway Services (Teleports, Gateways, Ground Station-as-a-Service) (HDAIAJAH), Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)
Keywords
Where Neo Space Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Riyadh
- HQ country
- Saudi Arabia
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
Neo Space Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) Services: Recurring revenue from airlines under multi-year contracts and per-aircraft line-fit/retrofit agreements for NSG Skywaves® connectivity and SkyFly passenger portal. Customers include Saudia, Riyadh Air, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, AEGEAN. Includes both line-fit (factory-installed) and retrofit revenue.
- Geospatial Marketplace (NSG UP42): Transaction-based revenue via the sa.up42.com marketplace: access to satellite, aerial, and elevation data from 80+ providers, on-demand satellite tasking, and cloud-based image processing via API/Python SDK. Combines marketplace commission with usage-based data consumption.
- Geospatial Services & Analytics (NeoMaps, Neo Atlas, NIC, Neo Data Factory): Project-based and recurring revenue from government, defense, and commercial customers for geospatial analysis, data visualization, map production, geo-center operations, and SaaS-like subscription access to NeoMaps for data-driven decision-making (cloud, offline, flexible subscription models).
- Satellite Capacity Leasing: Flexible leasing of GEO and MEO satellite bandwidth to telecom, government, and emergency services customers (launching soon). Customizable short-term and long-term options.
- Global Space Venture Capital Fund: Launching-soon VC arm investing in space-related startups globally with the objective of knowledge transfer and localizing activities in KSA. Generates financial returns and strategic equity stakes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise IFC contracts — quote-based, multi-year airline agreements |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | UP42 marketplace — usage-based data and processing pricing |
| Subscription | Annual | NeoMaps subscriptions — flexible models (cloud, offline, subscriptions) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Satellite Capacity Leasing — quote-based |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Neo Space Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Neo Space Group is a global space services company that delivers multi-orbit in-flight connectivity (IFC) for commercial airlines through its NSG Skywaves® platform and SkyFly passenger portal, powered by SES Open Orbits™ and ThinKom Ka2517 antenna technology. It also operates a full-stack geospatial intelligence business — combining the NSG UP42 Earth observation marketplace with sovereign NeoMaps, Neo Atlas, Neo Intelligence Cell, and Neo Data Factory platforms — to serve government, defense, and commercial customers across Saudi Arabia and international markets. The company is positioning satellite capacity leasing across GEO/MEO orbits as an additional service line.
Product overview
Neo Space Group (NSG) operates a multi-domain space services platform anchored by two core product pillars: NSG Skywaves® (IFC) for in-flight connectivity and NSG Geospatial Services for Earth observation intelligence. The NSG Skywaves® IFC solution is an integrated end-to-end system combining the Skywaves® traffic management platform, the SkyFly passenger portal, the SES Open Orbits™ multi-orbit network, and the ThinKom Ka2517 antenna to deliver seamless global connectivity for airlines. NSG Geospatial Services is a full-stack provider of geospatial data and analytics, augmented by the NSG UP42 marketplace (acquired from Airbus Defence and Space) and national platforms including NeoMaps, Neo Atlas, the Neo Intelligence Cell (NIC), and the Neo Data Factory. NSG also operates Satellite Capacity Leasing (launching soon) across GEO and MEO orbits, and the Global Space Venture Capital Fund (launching soon) for investing in space-related start-ups. Together, these products form a unified portfolio serving aviation, government, defense, maritime, energy, and other sectors in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NSG Skywaves®: Advanced traffic management platform providing global and multi-orbit coverage for in-flight connectivity (IFC).
- SkyFly
- NSG UP42
- NeoMaps
- Neo Atlas
- Neo Intelligence Cell (NIC)
- Neo Data Factory
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivers up to 200 Mbps IFC speeds on commercial airline deployments (e.g., Thai Airways B787, Saudia).
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Neo Space Group
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Neo Space Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability3 records
Feature10 records
Neo Space Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core, flagship, core and flagship / regulator.
- SESflagship / coreStrategic multi-orbit satellite network partner. SES's Open Orbits™ network provides GEO and MEO satellite capacity combined into a unified Ka-band open architecture for NSG Skywaves® IFC. NSG collaborates with SES to bring first-of-its-kind onboard connectivity services to the global aviation market.
- Display Interactiveflagship / coreAcquired by NSG (definitive agreement September 9, 2025). Display Interactive is a wireless in-flight entertainment and connectivity innovator; co-developer of Skywaves® traffic management platform and SkyFly end-user portal. NSG and DI began collaborating in 2023 and formalized the partnership in May 2024.
- Airbus Defence and SpaceflagshipOriginal owner of UP42 GmbH. NSG entered into a definitive agreement to acquire UP42 in December 2024 and completed the acquisition in July 2025, integrating the Earth Observation platform into NSG Geospatial division. UP42 was originally launched by Airbus in 2019 in Berlin.
- TAQNIA ETS (now NSG Geospatial Services)coreAcquired by NSG in Q2 2024 and rebranded as NSG Geospatial Services in October 2024. Brings over 400 employees, 130+ successful projects, in-house map production, and 14 ISO standards compliance to NSG's Geospatial division.
- Esri Global Inc.coreMoU signed January 22, 2025 at Esri Saudi User Conference 2025 between Martijn Blanken (NSG CEO) and Jack Dangermond (Esri Founder/President). Joint R&D, training programs, and Earth Observation applications across agriculture, defense, security, environment, urban planning, and maritime.
- SuperMap SoftwarecorePartnership to enhance NSG's GIS capabilities and technology offerings (announced in first-anniversary milestone year, 2025).
- ThinKom (Ka2517 Antenna)coreSupplier of ThinKom Ka2517 multi-orbit, network-agnostic Ka-band antenna integrated into NSG Skywaves® IFC solution; deployed on 1,700+ aircraft worldwide.
- Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines)flagshipStrategic airline partnership launched April 13, 2026. Saudia plans to offer complimentary high-speed internet onboard powered by NSG Skywaves® and SES Open Orbits™; Eclipse Global Connectivity leads equipment integration and certification for retrofitted aircraft.
- Riyadh AirflagshipStrategic partnership announced January 26, 2026 to equip Riyadh Air's new Airbus A321 fleet with NSG Skywaves® IFC, providing free high-speed internet up to 300 Mbps for Sfeer loyalty members and all guests. First A321 anticipated Q4 2026.
- Thai Airways InternationalflagshipThai Airways is the launch customer for NSG Skywaves® line-fit on Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, equipping all 34 Boeing 787s with NSG's multi-orbit IFC solution (announced November 11, 2025). Partnership began in 2024 with Boeing 777 retrofits. Also includes A321neo line-fit via Airbus HBCplus with Safran Passenger Innovations.
- Turkish AirlinesflagshipTurkish Airlines selected NSG to elevate passenger experience with high-speed IFC connectivity on its A350 fleet (announced as part of first-year milestones, 2025).
- Uzbekistan AirwayscorePartnered with NSG (April 2025) to bring industry-leading in-flight connectivity to passengers.
- AEGEAN AirlinescoreDeployed in-flight connectivity services with NSG as part of NSG's first year of operations.
- G&S SatComcoreStrategic partnership to deploy G&S SatConnect® cloud-based real-time monitoring platform within NSG's Network Operations Centre (NOC), providing 24/7 IFC service monitoring and proactive management.
- Eclipse Global ConnectivitycoreLeads equipment integration and certification for NSG Skywaves® retrofitted aircraft, supplying the certified Thinkom Ka2517 IFC antenna for the Saudia deployment.
- Safran Passenger Innovations (Airbus HBCplus)coreOEM integration partner for line-fit NSG Skywaves® installations on A321neo aircraft via the Airbus HBCplus program.
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)coreNSG is the first space company to join the KAUST Industry Collaboration Program (KICP), supporting R&D, talent development, and innovation aligned with Vision 2030 (announced November 6, 2024).
- WyverncoreInternational partnership announced March 13, 2026 to provide hyperspectral earth imaging services for agriculture, environmental monitoring, and pipeline leak detection.
- PixxelcorePartnership for hyperspectral earth imaging data, amid increased demand for space-based surveillance data driven by Middle East geopolitical events.
- Saudi Space AgencycoreListed as an NSG strategic partner and as a complementary organization within Saudi Arabia's broader space ecosystem alongside KACST, Arabsat, and CST.
- Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST)flagship / regulatorCST is Saudi Arabia's regulator for the space and telecom sector; awarded NSG the EO Platform Services permit. NSG works with CST on licensing, regulatory compliance, and strategic alignment of the EO marketplace and other initiatives.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights8 records
Neo Space Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SES: SES is both NSG's flagship multi-orbit network partner (Open Orbits™ powering Skywaves®) and a broader incumbent satellite operator offering global GEO/MEO capacity, IFC services, and government connectivity that overlap with NSG's satellite capacity leasing and IFC portfolio.
- Maxar Technologies: Maxar is a large incumbent in high-resolution Earth observation imagery and satellite manufacturing, with imagery distributed through marketplaces like UP42; it competes with NSG's NeoMaps and geospatial services for defense, intelligence, and government customers globally.
Direct peers
- Planet Labs: Planet Labs is a leading daily-revisit Earth observation satellite operator whose imagery is distributed through NSG's UP42 marketplace; it is a direct peer in EO data provision, analytics, and platform-based distribution to enterprise and government customers.
- BlackSky: BlackSky provides high-resolution satellite imagery and analytic services, listed as an NSG strategic partner accessible via the UP42 marketplace, making it a direct peer in commercial EO imagery, tasking, and geospatial analytics.
- Panasonic Avionics: Panasonic Avionics is a long-established IFC and in-flight entertainment vendor serving major global airlines, competing head-to-head with NSG Skywaves® and SkyFly for connectivity and passenger experience contracts.
- Gogo: Gogo is a business aviation connectivity provider that previously competed in commercial IFC before divesting that business to Intelsat; it remains a direct peer in airborne connectivity solutions with comparable in-flight hardware and service offerings to NSG Skywaves®.
- Viasat: Viasat (post-Inmarsat merger) is the largest direct competitor to NSG Skywaves® in commercial aviation IFC, offering global Ka-band connectivity, in-flight entertainment, and a similar hybrid of owned satellite capacity plus managed services to airlines globally.
- Intelsat: Intelsat is a leading IFC and satellite capacity provider that acquired Gogo's commercial aviation business in 2020, directly competing with NSG Skywaves® for line-fit and retrofit airline IFC contracts across global carriers.
Regional players
- Space42: Space42 (formed from the merger of UAE's Bayanat and Yahsat) is the closest regional peer to NSG: a sovereign-backed space services platform combining satellite communications, geospatial analytics, and AI-enabled solutions across MENA — directly competing with NSG's IFC, EO, and government offerings in the Gulf.
- Arabsat: Arabsat is the Arab League's satellite operator headquartered in Saudi Arabia, providing broadcast, telecommunications, and broadband capacity across MENA; it is a regional peer in satellite capacity and connectivity, overlapping with NSG's planned Satellite Capacity Leasing business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Neo Space Group social profiles
Digital presenceNeo Space Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Neo Space Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Neo Space Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Neo Space Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Neo Space Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Neo Space Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Neo Space Group
What does Neo Space Group do?
Neo Space Group is a global space services company that delivers multi-orbit in-flight connectivity (IFC) for commercial airlines through its NSG Skywaves® platform and SkyFly passenger portal, powered by SES Open Orbits™ and ThinKom Ka2517 antenna technology. It also operates a full-stack geospatial intelligence business — combining the NSG UP42 Earth observation marketplace with sovereign NeoMaps, Neo Atlas, Neo Intelligence Cell, and Neo Data Factory platforms — to serve government, defense, and commercial customers across Saudi Arabia and international markets. The company is positioning satellite capacity leasing across GEO/MEO orbits as an additional service line.
Is Neo Space Group a public or private company?
Neo Space Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Neo Space Group founded?
Neo Space Group was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Neo Space Group based?
Neo Space Group is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East region.
How does Neo Space Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) Services are the primary driver. The others are geospatial Marketplace (NSG UP42), geospatial Services & Analytics (NeoMaps, Neo Atlas, NIC, Neo Data Factory), satellite Capacity Leasing and global Space Venture Capital Fund.
Who are Neo Space Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SES and Maxar Technologies. Direct peers are Planet Labs, BlackSky, Panasonic Avionics, Gogo, Viasat and Intelsat. Regional players are Space42 and Arabsat.
Does Neo Space Group have an API?
Yes. The NSG UP42 geospatial marketplace provides a cloud-native API and Python SDK that allow developers and organizations to access, manage, and process satellite, aerial, and elevation data from 80+ leading providers on one platform. The API supports ordering new imagery with on-demand satellite tasking and large-scale image processing via unified formats and automated workflows. Developer documentation is at sa.up42.com.
What industry is Neo Space Group in?
Neo Space Group's product category is Satellite Communications & Geospatial Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAJAI, Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services), with a secondary code of HDAIAJAH, Satellite Ground Segment & Gateway Services (Teleports, Gateways, Ground Station-as-a-Service). Its NAICS code is 51741 and its SIC code is 3760.