Estonian startup Golbriak Space has secured €4 million in a seed funding round co-led by Join Capital and PhotonVentures. The accelerator Takeoff, managed by Plug and Play, also participated in the investment. The capital will be directed toward scaling the industrial production of laser communication terminals, aiming to meet demand for thousands of units.
The company was founded by Nicola Garzaniti and Simone Briatore, who previously developed laser terminal technology at universities. Their work originated from a 2017 Copernicus Masters project. Prior to this round, the startup had raised $130,000, including a convertible note from Plug and Play Turin in July 2023. The investment is structured through the Italian holding company Iribits S.r.l.
Golbriak Space offers two product lines: ERMESAI+ for space applications and ARES for aircraft. The current systems support data transmission rates starting at 2.5 gigabits per second, with plans to introduce a 10 Gbps system by 2027. The hardware is designed to be software-configurable to meet various industry standards, including those of the US Space Development Agency.
The technology utilizes narrow light beams to transmit data, bypassing the limitations of crowded radio frequencies. According to industry forecasts, the market for optical satellite communication is expected to grow from $0.62 billion in 2025 to $1.56 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 20.4 percent.
