Infostellar, developer of a cloud-based satellite antenna sharing platform, has announced a $7.3 million Series A investment. Infostellar is a space communications infrastructure firm, developing a cloud-based satellite antenna sharing platform called StellarStation. The platform that connects satellite owners and operators with those who own and operate antennas. This platform gives antenna owners the ability to monetize their antennas when they are not being used by the owner. In the case of most satellite applications the antennas are only used for a short period of time while the satellites are overhead.
The financing is led by Airbus Ventures, with additional funds from WERU Investment, D4V, Sony Innovation Fund, and existing investors, FreakOut Holdings, and 500 Startups Japan. This financing will be used to fund the launch of Infostellar’s flagship platform, StellarStation, expand its network of partner antennas, and hire additional talented team members.
Following the closing of the Series A round of investment, Infostellar also welcomes Dr Lewis Pinault, Managing Investment Partner for Airbus Ventures in Japan, to the Infostellar company board.
Founded in January 2016 in Tokyo, Infostellar’s long-term mission is to provide smart, efficient communications infrastructure for humanity’s ongoing space expansion. The first step in this journey is the creation of StellarStation, set to begin a closed beta launch in October 2017. Through implementation of the StellarStation hardware unit, satellite operators can share their antennas through a cloud-based platform during otherwise idle time, allowing increased transmission at much lower costs, while also passing on revenue to antenna owners in the network.
Lowering costs and increasing access will lower barriers for new businesses entering the satellite industry, as well as solve two major problems for existing satellite operators: namely,
1. Insufficient satellite access time
2. Unused antenna idle time
The process is simple: Users can share their antenna’s idle time and receive credits, then use those credits to access other antennas around the globe. Alternatively, users can exchange credits for cash.
The StellarStation platform sits between antenna holders and satellite operators, managing the complex processes required to connect both sides in a shared network and provide opportunities for revenue.
In order to facilitate this antenna sharing network, the StellarStation platform has a number of functions built in. First, the StellarStation evaluates antennas for a given satellite’s usage by referencing various factors like antenna specs and data transmission history. Using that information, it displays the most viable antennas for said satellite, and the user can book a transmission window that automatically begins once the satellite is in range.
Because there are various forms of data in both satellite uplink and downlink, StellarStation also performs the necessary data processing so that the data can be received in a usable form. Lastly, all operations are presented to the user in a comprehensive graphic interface, with complete API support.
Through this easy-to-use sharing platform, Infostellar hopes to create a paradigm shift in LEO satellite operation. Click here to learn more about the StellarStation.
