What NEXASPHERE does

NexaSphere is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project launched in January 2025 under the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking. It brings together 18 partners across nine countries to design and validate a unified three-dimensional communications architecture connecting terrestrial, non-terrestrial, and aerial systems for future 6G mobility. Its intended application domains are aviation, automotive, and rail.

The technical work centers on architecture, orchestration, and enabling components, with three sector-specific proof-of-concept demonstrations: next-generation in-flight connectivity, AI-driven data optimization for vehicles, and integrated railway communications. The project has a €8.5 million budget and a 36-month duration, and research outputs are disseminated through publications, deliverables, presentations, workshops, and industry and academic conferences.

NexaSphere is funded through EU Horizon Europe Grant Agreement No. 101192912 rather than product sales or services. It has no disclosed pricing, commercial distribution, paying customers, or revenue model; Eight Bells Ltd. administers the website, but the project itself is a research consortium rather than a standalone commercial operator.

Name

NEXASPHERE

Legal name

NexaSphere Consortium

Website

https://nexasphere.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NexaSphere is a Horizon Europe research project developing and validating unified terrestrial, non-terrestrial, and aerial connectivity for future 6G mobility across aviation, automotive, and rail through three sector-specific proof-of-concept demonstrations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

6G Telecommunications Research

NAICS

Satellite Telecommunications (51741), Space Research and Technology (92711)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Satellite Mobility Connectivity (Maritime, Aviation, Rail, Land Mobile) (HDAIAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Enterprise Satellite Connectivity & Managed Services (VSAT, SD-WAN over Satcom) (HDAIAJAB)

Keywords

• Non-terrestrial networks
• 6G communications research
• Terrestrial network integration
• In-flight connectivity
• Mobile network architecture

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NexaSphere is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project that designs and validates a unified three-dimensional (3D) communication network integrating terrestrial (TN), non-terrestrial (NTN), and aerial systems for future 6G connectivity. The project delivers architecture, orchestration, and technology components validated through three domain-specific proof-of-concept demonstrations in aviation, automotive, and railway sectors. It is publicly funded through the EU's Horizon Europe program under Grant Agreement No 101192912 and does not sell commercial products or services.

Product overview

NexaSphere is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project (Grant Agreement No 101192912) that functions as a research initiative rather than a commercial product company. The project is designing and validating a unified three-dimensional (3D) communication network integrating terrestrial (TN), non-terrestrial (NTN), and aerial systems. The project operates through three domain-specific Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations in Aviation (Next-Generation In-Flight Connectivity), Automotive (AI-Driven Data Optimization), and Railway (Seamless Integration) sectors. The project has a duration of 36 months, a budget of €8.5 million, and involves 18 partners across 9 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NexaSphere Project A Horizon Europe research and innovation initiative (Grant Agreement No 101192912) focused on designing and validating a unified three-dimensional (3D) communication network that integrates terrestrial (TN), non-terrestrial (NTN), and aerial systems to support future mobility and connectivity needs across aviation, automotive, and rail sectors. Delivered as a 36-month, €8.5M program with 18 partners across 9 countries.
• Aviation Proof of Concept Next-Generation In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) demonstration focused on satellite and terrestrial network integration for aviation sector applications, addressing airborne connectivity limitations and the need for unified terrestrial and non-terrestrial communications for aircraft.
• Automotive Proof of Concept AI-Driven Data Optimization demonstration for automotive applications, exploring vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity and network optimization for connected and autonomous vehicles.
• Railway Proof of Concept Seamless Integration demonstration for railway applications, focused on unified terrestrial and non-terrestrial communications for rail connectivity, addressing train-to-ground connectivity challenges and unified communications across rail networks.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey consortium partner contributing to technical research. Researchers from CNAM including Farzad Veisi Goshtasb, Stefano Taborelli, Pedro Braconnot Velloso, and Stefano Secci have presented papers on topics including 'Energy-Efficient Uplink-Downlink Decoupling for 6G TN-NTN Multi-Connectivity' and 'O-RAN Integrated Space-Terrestrial Networks: A Multi-Connectivity Strategy Analysis'.
• DLR (German Aerospace Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical Manager Dr. Tomaso de Cola is from DLR. DLR hosted the NTN, Security & Resilience event and is involved in the IRIS² programme activities related to satellite communications.
• SPI (RAVE Aerospace)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject Coordinator Dr. Babak Mafakheri is from SPI/RAVE Aerospace. Contributing technical expertise and project coordination.
• OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the first plenary meeting of NexaSphere at their headquarters in Athens, Greece. Active consortium partner supporting project coordination.
• University of Naples Federico IImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the second plenary meeting of NexaSphere in Naples, Italy. Contributing academic expertise to the consortium.
• Fraunhofer FOKUScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 5th NTN Workshop. Contributing expertise in open communication systems and 6G network research.
• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of NTN workshops and scientific supporter of satellite communications events. Contributes to standardization discussions and NTN ecosystem development.
• EurescomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 5th NTN Workshop. Contributes to European telecommunications research initiatives and 6G standardization.
• European Association for Signal Processing (EURASIP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the EuCNC & 6G Summit conference series.
• European Association on Antennas and Propagation (EurAAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the EuCNC & 6G Summit conference series.
• Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 12th ASMS Conference and 18th SPSC Workshop, jointly with DLR.
• Eight Bells Ltd.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner responsible for the NexaSphere website and data controller for privacy compliance. Located at Kolokotroni 5, Neo Psychiko, Greece.
• IEEE Communications SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of EuCNC & 6G Summit, IEEE ICC, IEEE INFOCOM, and IEEE Future Networks World Forum conferences where NexaSphere participates and presents research.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Fraunhofer FOKUS: German applied research institute co-organizing NTN workshops with NexaSphere and contributing open 6G communication system expertise. Comparable as a key European research partner in the same 6G/NTN ecosystem.
• DLR (German Aerospace Center): German national aerospace research center whose staff serve as Technical Manager of NexaSphere. Comparable as a major European research institution performing6G NTN research with relevant satellite communications capabilities.

Direct peers

• HEXA-X-II: European6G flagship research project under Horizon Europe SNS JU, working on integrated 6G system architecture including TN/NTN and AI. Most directly comparable peer as a sister Horizon Europe 6G flagship alongside NexaSphere.
• 6G-NTN: Horizon Europe SNS JU project focused on non-terrestrial networks for 6G. Closely comparable in scope (NTN focus), funding mechanism (Horizon Europe), and consortium structure to NexaSphere.

Broad incumbents

• Eutelsat Group: Largest European GEO/LEO satellite operator with OneWeb LEO constellation, partnering with MNOs on integrated satellite-terrestrial connectivity. Comparable incumbent that translates integrated connectivity concepts into commercial service.
• SES: Global satellite operator with O3b MEO and geostationary fleets, actively building integrated TN/NTN and 5G/6G NTN partnerships. Comparable as an established incumbent commercializing the same integrated connectivity concept NexaSphere is researching.
• Thales Alenia Space: European satellite manufacturer and NTN system integrator co-developing 6G-NTN architectures and reference designs. Comparable incumbent that productizes the integrated TN/NTN concepts NexaSphere is researching.
• European Space Agency (ESA): Public-sector space research and technology organization that co-organizes NTN workshops with NexaSphere and contributes to NTN standardization. Comparable as a broader, established player in satellite communications R&D for European6G.

Emerging players

• AST SpaceMobile: US-listed company building space-based cellular broadband directly to standard smartphones, with active MNO partnerships. Comparable emerging player demonstrating that integrated TN/NTN services for mobility are a viable commercial model.
• Sateliot: Spanish LEO NB-IoT NTN operator building direct-to-device satellite connectivity for IoT and mobility use cases. Comparable emerging player operating in the same TN/NTN integration space NexaSphere targets for automotive and rail PoCs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NexaSphere_EU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NexaSphere_2025
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nexasphere-eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NEXASPHERE