Portuguese orbital intelligence startup Neuraspace has successfully secured €15.6M ($18M) in a new funding round to scale its space situational awareness (SDA) and traffic management infrastructure, according to Payload Space. The capital injection includes support from Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, and Armilar Venture Partners, supplemented by public funding through Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience plan.
Neuraspace has reported revenue growth exceeding 350% over the past year. This financial momentum has been driven by a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from civil institutions such as the ESA to defense entities, including the Portuguese Air Force and NATO. Commercial satellite operators, including NanoAvionics, Spire Global, and Sidus Space, also utilize the firm’s services.
Key Financial and Operational Metrics
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Funding Raised | €15.6M ($18M) |
| Reported Revenue Growth | 350%+ YoY |
| Core Technology Focus | AI-powered SDA & Traffic Management |
CEO Chiara Manfletti indicated that the firm intends to utilize these resources to refine its autonomous decision-making capabilities, explainable AI, sensor fusion, and anomaly detection. A significant technical upgrade involves the integration of radar capabilities to complement the company's existing optical telescope network. This expansion is designed to bolster NeuraspaceDEF, a specialized platform tailored for defense and institutional users requiring dual-use SDA capabilities.
Unlike standard traffic collision avoidance software, NeuraspaceDEF uses sensor-fused data to provide autonomous threat assessments. This allows operators to differentiate between accidental orbital risks and intentional physical or cyber threats. To support these objectives, the company is actively recruiting engineers, flight dynamics experts, and commercial staff to expand its international footprint.
Why It Matters
The funding underscores a shift in space operations where orbital safety is no longer viewed solely as a collision avoidance problem, but as a critical component of national security. As orbital density increases, the commercialization of SDA services provided by startups like Neuraspace signals that space domain awareness is moving from legacy government-run radar systems toward agile, AI-driven commercial ecosystems. This transition allows for faster response times to non-kinetic threats, providing a necessary layer of protection for the increasingly crowded Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment.
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