GAUSS srl

What GAUSS srl does

GAUSS Srl (Group of Astrodynamics for the Use of Space Systems Srl) is a privately held Italian limited liability company headquartered in Rome, founded in 2012 as a spin-out from the GAUSS research group at Sapienza University of Rome's School of Aerospace Engineering, where the original group had been active since 1978. The company designs, manufactures, and sells flight-proven CubeSat and microsatellite subsystems — specifically the ABACUS on-board computer (with triple modular redundancy and six-plus years of flight heritage on UniSat-6, Tigrisat, and UNISAT-7), GAUSS UHF radio transceivers in 2W and 5W configurations, the Mini Ground Dongle for ground station simulation, and the GPOD CubeSat deployer supporting form factors from 1U to 6U. These products are sold individually (2025 starting prices from €2,000 to €18,000) and together as an integrated satellite platform for university, government, and commercial CubeSat missions.

The company operates a revenue model combining hardware sales, professional services (mission analysis, satellite design, integration and testing, student training, and consulting), and space observation services via the CastelGAUSS Observatory. Its go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: products are sold directly through the website and email, with business developed through institutional collaborations with the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Sapienza, ENEA, the Berlin Space Consortium, and Morehead State University. Customers are split across space agencies, research universities, and commercial small-satellite operators, primarily in EMEA and the United States. Beyond commercial products, GAUSS runs ongoing internally-funded or grant-funded R&D projects (AD ASTRA ramjet, DEOS solar sail deorbiting, SIMONA maritime launch, MIUS hybrid stage, COSMO magneto-thruster, HELITRON plasma thruster), with funding sourced from EU regional grants (notably €500,386.48 via Lazio Innova for DEOS) and FISA awards. The company employs approximately 16 staff and remains a niche specialist rather than a scaled platform vendor.

Name

GAUSS srl

Legal name

GAUSS Srl (Gruppo di Astrodinamica per L'Uso dei Sistemi Spaziali Srl)

Website

https://gauss.space

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GAUSS Srl is a Rome-based aerospace company that designs, manufactures, and sells flight-proven CubeSat subsystems (on-board computers, UHF radios, deployers) and provides mission and space-observation services to space agencies, universities, and small-satellite operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Satellite Subsystems (CubeSat Hardware)

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)

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 industry

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI)

Keywords

• CubeSat subsystems
• Satellite onboard computers
• UHF radio transceivers
• CubeSat deployers
• Microsatellite engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Satellite Products: Sale of proprietary satellite subsystems including OBC (ABACUS), UHF Radios (2W/5W), Mini Ground Dongle, and CubeSat Deployer (GPOD). Products are priced for 2025 with starting prices ranging from €2,000 to €18,000 depending on the product.
2. Professional Services: Comprehensive services including mission analysis, satellite design, ground integration and testing, student training, and aerospace consulting. Services are tailored to client requirements with engineering collaboration.
3. Space Observation Services: Telescope access, expert guidance, customized observation sessions, and research collaboration opportunities at the CastelGAUSS Observatory.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GAUSS designs, manufactures, and sells proprietary satellite subsystems for CubeSat and microsatellite missions, including the ABACUS on-board computer, GAUSS UHF radio transceivers (2W/5W), the GPOD CubeSat deployer, and the Mini Ground Dongle for ground-station simulation. Alongside its hardware catalog, the company provides mission engineering services (mission analysis, satellite design, ground integration and testing, aerospace consulting) and operates the CastelGAUSS Observatory for space-debris and NEO observation.

Product overview

GAUSS srl offers a portfolio of satellite hardware products and mission services for the small satellite and CubeSat market. The core product line consists of the ABACUS On-Board Computer (OBC), GAUSS UHF Radio transceivers (available in 2W and 5W configurations), the Mini Ground Dongle for ground station simulation, and the GPOD CubeSat Deployer system. These products form an integrated satellite platform, with the OBC providing onboard computing, the radios handling communications, the deployer enabling satellite release, and the ground dongle supporting testing and operations. GAUSS also provides complementary mission services including mission analysis, satellite design, ground integration and testing, space observation via the CastelGAUSS Observatory, student training, and aerospace consulting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ABACUS On-Board Computer (OBC) General-purpose On-Board Computer (OBC) subsystem for CubeSat and microsatellite missions, featuring a dual-core architecture with configurable modalities, an FPGA for custom task implementation, Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) for high reliability, embedded sensors for health monitoring and attitude control, and in-flight reconfigurability. Achieved more than six years of continuous flight heritage on UniSat-6, Tigrisat and UNISAT-7. Targeted at CubeSat mission integrators, universities, and space agencies building small-satellite platforms.
• GAUSS UHF Radio 2W

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6 years of continuous flight heritage for ABACUS OBC on multiple satellites (UniSat-6, Tigrisat, UNISAT-7)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Scuola di Ingegneria Aerospaziale (SIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration on the AD ASTRA project focusing on ramjet engine optimization for small launchers. Also the foundational academic institution from which GAUSS originated, maintaining ongoing research partnerships.
• Italian Space Agency (ASI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on COSMO project for magneto-thruster orbit control system development. ASI also presented the Luigi Broglio Prize to GAUSS CEO. Key institutional partner for Italian space initiatives.
• Berlin Space Consortium (BSC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on vacuum chamber facility equipped with turbomolecular pump for high-vacuum testing simulating space conditions. Supports low-thrust propulsion system testing.
• Morehead State University (MSU)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on UNISAT-5 project with MSU Space Science Center. Joint development of technology demonstrator and launch platform expanding access to space.
• ENEAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHELITRON project partner for developing new high-power electrodeless plasma thruster combining helicon plasma sources with electrodeless Lorentz force thrusters. Project spans five years of research.
• Sapienza University of RomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrigin of GAUSS through the GAUSS research group at Laboratory of Astrodynamics. Ongoing collaboration on multiple projects including AD ASTRA and HELITRON. Prof. Filippo Graziani maintained academic position for 30+ years.
• International Academy of Astronautics (IAA)supportingOthersProf. Filippo Graziani, GAUSS founder, is a member of IAA, providing institutional recognition and connection to international astronautics community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NanoAvionics: Small-satellite bus and subsystem manufacturer offering OBCs, radios, and integrated 6U-16U platforms; competes with GAUSS for commercial constellation and institutional customers in Europe.
• AstroDev: Italian radio and OBC supplier for small satellites; a direct peer on UHF radio transceivers and listed by GAUSS itself as a partner/peer in the Italian CubeSat component ecosystem.
• Innovative Solutions In Space (ISIS): Dutch supplier of CubeSat structures, deployers (including 6U/12U), and complete smallsat platforms; competes head-to-head with GAUSS's GPOD deployer and ABACUS-style OBC offerings for institutional customers.
• Open Cosmos: UK small-satellite mission provider offering end-to-end design, manufacture, and launch services for CubeSats and smallsats; competes with GAUSS's professional services and complete-mission offering for the same institutional and emerging commercial customers.
• Pumpkin Space Systems: US supplier of CubeSat kits, structures, and avionics including OBCs, directly overlapping with GAUSS's ABACUS OBC and broader CubeSat subsystem offering for university missions.
• EnduroSat: Bulgarian CubeSat platform and subsystem vendor offering OBCs, communication modules, and deployers aimed at academic and commercial customers comparable to GAUSS's served base.
• GomSpace: Danish listed company that designs and manufactures CubeSat platforms and subsystems including on-board computers, radios, and deployers - directly competing with GAUSS across the same product stack for academic and commercial small-satellite customers.
• AAC Clyde Space: Scottish/Swedish small-satellite subsystem manufacturer offering OBCs, radios, and complete CubeSat missions, serving the same university and commercial smallsat procurement market as GAUSS.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Canyon Technologies: Larger US-based provider of complete smallsat buses, reaction wheels, and avionics with broader portfolio and scale than GAUSS, serving a comparable institutional and commercial smallsat customer base.

Emerging players

• Bright Ascension: UK-based provider of spacecraft software platforms and mission-control solutions that complement CubeSat subsystems like those of GAUSS, serving overlapping smallsat mission integrators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gauss-srl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 GAUSS srl