Astrocast

Astrocast is a Swiss satellite communications company headquartered in Lausanne and focused on satellite connectivity for Internet of Things applications. Founded in 2014 by alumni of the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, the company was established around the idea that small, low-power devices operating beyond terrestrial network coverage could communicate through a dedicated low Earth orbit satellite system. Its target use cases include the monitoring of agricultural assets, maritime equipment, environmental conditions, industrial installations and other remote or mobile objects. The company’s network is based on nanosatellites built in the CubeSat form factor. These spacecraft are compact satellites assembled around standardized cubic units, with the reference material describing Astrocast’s satellites as approximately 10 centimetres per cube side. Rather than positioning itself as a conventional broadband satellite operator, Astrocast is oriented toward machine-to-machine messaging: sensors and tracking devices transmit relatively small amounts of data, while the service is designed for applications where low power consumption, global reach and the absence of terrestrial cellular coverage are important. Astrocast began deploying its space infrastructure in December 2018, when its first five satellites were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 mission. A further five satellites were launched in June 2021. The company subsequently described an expansion program intended to create a larger global network, with an earlier target of reaching 100 satellites by 2024. By November 2024, the reference material recorded 20 spacecraft launched in total, comprising two test satellites and four batches of operational satellites, with 19 still in orbit. Astrocast has been supported by venture capital and institutional space-sector backers, including Adit Ventures, Airbus’s venture investment arm and the European Space Agency. These relationships reflect the company’s position at the intersection of commercial space infrastructure, telecommunications and industrial IoT. In June 2022, Astrocast announced an agreement to acquire Hiber, an Amsterdam-based space-technology company working in IoT connectivity. The transaction was intended to broaden Astrocast’s capabilities and customer reach in satellite-enabled IoT. The brand’s core proposition is connectivity for devices that are too remote, mobile or infrastructure-dependent for ordinary terrestrial networks. Its business model depends on the deployment and operation of a satellite constellation, together with compatible user terminals and data services. The company’s public profile is therefore tied both to the development of its spacecraft and to the practical integration of satellite messaging into commercial monitoring systems. Astrocast remains a specialist space and communications brand rather than a mass-market consumer telecommunications provider.

Astrocast was founded in Switzerland in 2014 by alumni of EPFL, the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne. The company was created to develop a dedicated satellite network for Internet of Things communications. Its intended customers are not primarily individual broadband users, but organizations operating equipment, sensors and vehicles in locations where cellular or other terrestrial communications are unavailable, unreliable or too expensive to extend. The company selected nanosatellites based on the CubeSat format for its network. CubeSats use standardized cubic units that enable comparatively compact spacecraft designs and can be deployed in batches. Astrocast’s satellites are described as cubes measuring approximately 10 centimetres on each side. The use of small spacecraft supported the company’s plan to build a distributed low Earth orbit network rather than relying on a single large geostationary satellite. Astrocast’s first five satellites were launched in December 2018 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This initial deployment marked the transition from development toward in-orbit testing and service-network construction. In June 2021, the company launched five more satellites, continuing the process of adding spacecraft to its constellation. Astrocast’s stated longer-term objective was to operate a global network of 100 satellites by 2024. The company attracted support from a combination of commercial and institutional space investors. The reference material identifies venture capital firm Adit Ventures, Airbus’s venture arm and the European Space Agency among Astrocast’s backers. Their involvement placed the business within the broader European commercial-space ecosystem and helped support the development of satellite hardware, launch activity and IoT communications infrastructure. Astrocast also pursued expansion through acquisition. In June 2022, it announced the acquisition of Hiber, an Amsterdam-based IoT space-technology company. The proposed transaction was strategically relevant because Hiber operated in an adjacent field: connecting remote assets and sensors through satellite infrastructure. The acquisition announcement indicated an effort to combine Astrocast’s satellite constellation with complementary technology, commercial relationships or operational capabilities. The constellation continued to grow through additional launches. By November 2024, Astrocast was reported to have launched 20 spacecraft in total. This figure included two test satellites and four batches of operational satellites, of which 19 were still in orbit at that time. The company’s development therefore remained centered on incremental deployment of a satellite fleet rather than a single launch event. Astrocast’s historical significance lies in its attempt to make satellite connectivity practical for low-data industrial applications. Its service is aimed at two-way communication with devices in agriculture, maritime operations, environmental monitoring and other remote-use settings. The company’s strategy combines a proprietary or dedicated low Earth orbit satellite network with customer-side terminals and data services. It is consequently best understood as a specialist satellite communications and industrial IoT brand, not as a consumer mobile or broadband operator.

• 2024

  Constellation reaches 20 launched spacecraft

  [1]Astrocasten.wikipedia.org

  By November, the company is reported to have launched 20 spacecraft, with 19 still in orbit.

• 2022

  Hiber acquisition announced

  [1]Astrocasten.wikipedia.org

  Astrocast announces an agreement to acquire Amsterdam-based IoT space-technology company Hiber.

• 2021

  Second five-satellite launch

  [1]Astrocasten.wikipedia.org

  Astrocast launches another five satellites in June as it expands its low Earth orbit IoT network.

• 2018

  First satellite deployment

  [1]Astrocasten.wikipedia.org

  The company launches its first five satellites in December aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

• 2014

  Astrocast is founded

  [1]Astrocasten.wikipedia.org

  Astrocast is established in Switzerland by EPFL alumni to develop satellite communications for Internet of Things applications.

A specialist low Earth orbit satellite IoT provider offering low-power, two-way connectivity for remote and mobile assets outside reliable terrestrial network coverage.

• Satellite hardware · 2018

  Astrocast CubeSat nanosatellites

  Astrocast’s space segment consists of compact CubeSat-format nanosatellites deployed in low Earth orbit. The satellites form the physical infrastructure for the company’s IoT communications service and are launched in batches to build a distributed network. The reference material describes the CubeSat units as approximately 10 centimetres per side. The constellation includes test spacecraft as well as operational satellites.

• Satellite communications service

  Astrocast satellite IoT connectivity

  Astrocast provides two-way satellite communications for connected devices and remote assets. The service is designed for relatively small volumes of machine-to-machine data rather than consumer broadband. Its intended applications include agricultural monitoring, maritime equipment, environmental sensing and industrial assets located beyond dependable terrestrial network coverage.

• 2022

  Proposed acquisition of HiberM&A

  Background

  Astrocast operated in the satellite IoT market while Hiber was an Amsterdam-based space-technology company serving related IoT connectivity needs.

  Action taken

  Astrocast announced that it would acquire Hiber in June 2022.

  Aftermath

  The available reference material does not provide sufficient information about the transaction’s final completion, financial terms or subsequent operating impact.

  Source

• 2022.02.09

  Reported2022.02.10

  Astrocast and UnaBiz announce IoT partnership[3]Astrocast与UnaBiz宣布物联网合作satellitetoday.com

  Astrocast announced a partnership with IoT service provider UnaBiz to deliver an end-to-end asset-tracking and monitoring solution. The companies described services each would provide and a jointly developed solution for satellite-only and hybrid applications.

Read more

1. 1Astrocasten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Astrocast official websiteastrocast.com
3. 3Astrocast与UnaBiz宣布物联网合作satellitetoday.com