Kleos Space

What Kleos Space does

Kleos Space S.A. is a Luxembourg-registered, ASX-listed (KSS) space-based defense and intelligence technology company that builds, launches, and operates a constellation of small satellites in Low Earth Orbit to detect and geolocate radio frequency (RF) transmissions for government and commercial customers. The technical core is a four-satellite cluster formation flying in rectangular geometry with multilateration algorithms, enabling the company to triangulate RF emitters and deliver geospatial intelligence products (notably Guardian LOCATE, plus LOCATE X and LOCATE OPTIX developed with General Atomics GA-CCRI) covering maritime domain awareness, border security, counter-piracy, illegal fishing detection, and ISR missions. Data is delivered via API in JSON format on a subscription basis (Data-as-a-Service) with a Mission-as-a-Service option for dedicated collection capacity.

Between November 2020 and January 2023 the company launched four clusters (KSM1 Scouting Mission, KSF1 Vigilance, KSF2 Patrol, KSF3 Observer) containing 16 satellites total, and obtained Luxembourg authorization for up to 80 spacecraft. The company secured high-profile validation contracts including an NRO Commercial RF Capabilities award, a Royal Navy evaluation, and a CRADA with the US Navy NSWC Crane, with distribution through UP42 marketplace, General Atomics GA-CCRI, Japan Space Imaging, and Atlantis SIM. Cumulative recognized revenue through collapse was approximately €900k (February 2023).

The company experienced severe financial distress from July 2023 onward: its A$10 million secured debt facility from PURE Asset Management was called due, all customer and vendor contracts were terminated effective July 2023, and bankruptcy proceedings were considered but not filed. As of October 2024 the company had no employees, the sole Director (Andy Bowyer) was not employed by the company, and regulatory work to facilitate an asset sale had been ongoing for over a year. Only three of the original 16 satellites (KSF3a, KSF3b, KSF3d) remain operational.

Name

Kleos Space

Legal name

Kleos Space S.A.

Website

https://kleos.space

Company type

Public

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kleos Space S.A. is a Luxembourg-headquartered, ASX-listed company that operated a small-satellite RF geolocation constellation serving defense, intelligence, maritime, and border security customers via subscription GEOINT products. As of October 2024 the company has zero employees, all contracts are terminated, and an asset sale is pending.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geospatial Intelligence

NAICS

Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Space-Based Defense Systems (SSA, Missile Warning, Protected SATCOM) (IMABAOAH), Space Defense & Missile Warning (BPAIAHAF), Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

Keywords

• RF geolocation data
• Satellite intelligence
• Geospatial intelligence
• Maritime domain awareness
• Signal reconnaissance

Headquarters

HQ city

Esch-sur-alzette

HQ country

Luxembourg

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) Subscription: Customers license RF geolocation data on a subscription basis (monthly or annual). Customers access data through API, querying by geographic area and time. Subscriptions grant license to access all available intelligence products from Standard Collection Zones (SCZs).
2. Mission-as-a-Service (MaaS): Customers can purchase dedicated data collection capacity for specific areas of interest. Provides opportunity for higher value subscriptions with more frequent coverage.
3. Guardian LOCATE Product Licensing: Geospatial intelligence products generated from RF data collected over predefined Standard Collection Zones. Revenue recognition began after daily data delivery milestone achieved in early 2023.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kleos Space operates a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that detect and geolocate radio frequency (RF) transmissions to deliver geospatial intelligence data products. Its core offering, Guardian LOCATE, provides customers with transmitter frequency, coordinates, reception time, and confidence parameters via a subscription-based API, serving defense, intelligence, maritime, and border security applications.

Product overview

Kleos Space offers a space-based RF (Radio Frequency) reconnaissance data-as-a-service platform. The core product is Guardian LOCATE, which provides geolocated RF transmission data collected by satellite constellations. The company operates clusters of four satellites that collect RF data, which is then processed through Kleos' proprietary platform to deliver geospatial intelligence products. Guardian LOCATE serves as the primary GEOINT product, while LOCATE X and LOCATE OPTIX are newer offerings developed through the General Atomics partnership. Data is delivered via API in JSON format on a subscription basis (Data-as-a-Service). The company has launched four satellite clusters: Scouting Mission (KSM1), Vigilance Mission (KSF1), Patrol Mission (KSF2), and Observer Mission (KSF3), each containing four satellites in formation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guardian LOCATE: Geospatial intelligence product that provides geolocated radio frequency transmissions collected over key areas of interest by Kleos satellites
• LOCATE X
• LOCATE OPTIX

Products and services

• Guardian LOCATE RF geolocation data product that detects and geolocates radio frequency transmissions from space to improve identification of hidden and illegal activity. Delivers geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) including transmitter frequency, coordinates, reception time, and confidence parameters via API in JSON format. Targeted at government defense, intelligence, maritime, and border security customers.
• LOCATE X RF geospatial situational awareness product powered by General Atomics OPTIX platform. Enables customers to gain valuable insights into RF activity with enhanced capabilities, developed through the strategic partnership with GA-CCRI.
• LOCATE OPTIX Visualization tool integrated with the OPTIX platform, allowing users to interrogate Kleos data and intelligence products, create historical views, overlay contextual layers, and extract deeper insights from RF geolocation data.
• Mission-as-a-Service (MaaS) Customized data collection service allowing customers to purchase dedicated satellite data collection capacity for specific areas of interest. Provides opportunity for higher value subscriptions with more frequent coverage of targeted regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 119 million km² per day additional data collection capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• General Atomics Commonwealth Computer Research Inc (GA-CCRI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 May 2023Strategic partnership where Kleos integrates GA-CCRI's OPTIX platform into LOCATE X and LOCATE OPTIX products. General Atomics becomes Channel Partner and value-added reseller for Kleos' data and intelligence products, offering them through the OPTIX catalog for global ISR customers.
• Ursa SpacecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2023Kleos joined Ursa Space Virtual Constellation, the world's largest database of satellite imagery from SAR, optical, and RF data vendors. Kleos LOCATE product accelerates Ursa's tip-and-cue capabilities by adding RF geolocation data layer to data fusion process.
• UP42coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2022Partnership to offer Kleos' RF geolocation data on UP42's marketplace. Guardian LOCATE available alongside 180+ geospatial data sources, allowing fusion with existing imagery and algorithms.
• US Navy Naval Surface Warfare Center Division CraneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022CRADA agreement for joint data experimentation. Kleos provides RF geolocation data in realistic test scenarios to improve maritime domain awareness for sanctions reporting, transshipment monitoring, search and rescue, and smuggling detection.
• Japan Space Imaging Corp (JSI)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 July 2021Promotional partner for Japan supporting Kleos geolocation data promotion. JSI provides direct tactical and operational support to Japanese customers in defense and maritime security operations.
• Innovative Solutions In Space (ISISPACE)coreTechnology or Integration · 29 May 2021Satellite manufacturer providing turnkey solution including development, production, testing, launch integration services and early orbit phase support. Building all Kleos satellite clusters. Optional addendum for additional clusters.
• Atlantis SIMminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 October 2020Exclusive Territory Agent for Ecuador for two years. Provides solutions for illegal fishing and maritime security, delivering tactical and operational support to Ecuador Defense and Border Services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HawkEye 360: HawkEye 360 operates a larger commercial constellation of small satellites specifically designed to detect, characterize and geolocate RF signals from space — it is the closest direct competitor to Kleos' Guardian LOCATE product, serving the same defense, intelligence and maritime customers with overlapping value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Maxar Technologies: Maxar is a large incumbent in space-based Earth observation and GEOINT, supplying imagery and analytics to the same US/UK defense and intelligence customers as Kleos; Kleos' RF layer is positioned as complementary data fused into Maxar-style workflows.
• Spire Global: Spire operates LEO smallsat constellations delivering maritime, aviation and weather data-as-a-service, including ADS-B and AIS products. Spire competes for the same DaaS budget envelope and government channel partners, and serves overlapping maritime domain awareness use cases.
• Planet Labs: Planet is a major commercial Earth-observation constellation operator serving defense and intelligence customers with daily imaging — comparable to Kleos in subscription-based satellite data delivery to government agencies.
• Iridium Communications: Iridium operates the largest commercial LEO satellite constellation with hosted RF payloads (notably Aireon). Iridium's corporate DNA — and several Kleos senior leaders' backgrounds — informs comparable data-as-a-service operating models and government sales channels.

Emerging players

• Capella Space: Capella operates a SAR smallsat constellation delivering high-resolution imagery for defense and intelligence — competing for the same ISR budget pool against which Kleos' RF geolocation data is positioned as a complementary sensor.
• ICEYE: ICEYE operates a commercial SAR satellite constellation delivering near real-time imagery to defense and government customers — competing with Kleos for ISR procurement budgets and often co-marketed as part of multi-sensor GEOINT stacks.
• BlackSky: BlackSky provides tasking-driven GEOINT and RF analytics via its own smallsat constellation and partner data layers. BlackSky's RF/SIGINT work overlaps with Kleos' tip-and-cue defense offering and competes for the same NRO/dod ISR dollars.
• Umbra Space: Umbra operates a commercial SAR constellation providing high-resolution Earth observation for defense and intelligence — drawn from the same smallsat DaaS funding ecosystem that built Kleos and competing for adjacent government ISR use cases.

Others

• ExoAnalytic Solutions: ExoAnalytic provides space domain awareness and RF tracking data services to defense and intelligence customers, including tip-and-cue analytics — adjacent to Kleos' RF geolocation mission with overlap on government ISR procurement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCw6rV6iMB8LR5GMQG4zZcnw
• Xx.com/kleosspace
• Facebookfacebook.com/optimaukincltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18129185

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors3 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 Kleos Space