German startup NeuralSat raises €2.9 million to build a data network in space
NeuralSat, a space-tech startup based in Würzburg, Germany, has secured €2.9 million in pre-Seed funding to develop a satellite network for data transmission and in-orbit computing. Its first demonstration node is scheduled to reach orbit in October 2027.
NeuralSat, a space-technology startup based in Würzburg, Germany, has raised €2.9 million in a pre-Seed round. The money will go toward a satellite network meant to improve data transmission and computing in orbit. The effort matters because the number of satellites is growing, and existing communications infrastructure may struggle to keep up with the volume of data.
The round was led by the venture investors Capnamic Ventures and Bayern Kapital. ZOHO.VC, Robin Capital, BAB (the development bank for Bremen and Bremerhaven), KIEMIS Holding and Mission E Capital also took part.
The problem NeuralSat wants to solve
CEO Mohd Bilal says most satellites are launched without onboard networking, so they cannot communicate with one another and resources are rarely shared between spacecraft. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), around 100,000 satellites could be in orbit by 2030, adding pressure on ground-station availability, transmission capacity and onboard processing.
NeuralSat intends to let satellite operators use shared infrastructure instead of fitting every spacecraft with extensive communications and computing hardware. Satellites would send data to NeuralSat nodes, where it could be processed, prioritised and passed on to available ground stations. The network is designed for speeds of up to 50 gigabits per second, using optical and high-frequency radio links. Unlike companies building orbital data centres, NeuralSat focuses on improving how existing satellite systems communicate, process and distribute information.
Next steps
The company was founded in 2026 in Würzburg by Mohd Bilal (CEO), Rishi Jaiswal (CTO) and Manohar Karnal (COO). The new funding is meant to support development of a 72-satellite constellation. The first demonstration node is due in orbit in October 2027, and the company expects to start deploying its first operational satellites in 2028.
The technology could be used in Earth observation, emergency response, communications, intelligence gathering and defence.
