Key Points:
- Skylo Technologies secures funding from corporate venture arms led by Intel Capital and Innovation Endeavors.
- The startup aims to bridge the gap between satellite and terrestrial communications.
- The company’s approach emphasizes ubiquitous connectivity and seamless integration with existing networks.
- Skylo is generating revenue, expanding its workforce, and extending its network reach across multiple regions.
Skylo Technologies, a Silicon Valley-based space startup, has secured $37 million in funding from corporate venture arms, including Intel Capital, BMW i Ventures, and Samsung Catalyst Fund. The equity round was led by Intel Capital and Innovation Endeavors, bringing Skylo’s total equity fundraising to $153 million, with participation from prior investors like SoftBank and DCM.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, Skylo aims to bridge the gap between satellite and terrestrial communications through its “direct-to-device” (D2D) satellite communications network. Unlike traditional approaches that involve building next-generation satellites, Skylo focuses on connecting new devices without needing extra antennas or bulky equipment.
Skylo CEO Parth Trivedi emphasizes the importance of ubiquitous connectivity without additional hardware complexity, aiming to bring the standards-based networks of the telecom industry to the proprietary satellite technology sphere.
The company is developing a software infrastructure to certify chips and devices for satellite connectivity, positioning itself as a “roaming partner” to existing cellular networks. Partnering with chipset makers such as Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek, and Sony, Skylo has certified a range of IoT chips and is expanding certification for wearable devices and smartphones.
Trivedi said, “Older phones are not going to be certified on our network. It’s all the new devices that are coming out that have the correct chipset in them and then we work with the [original equipment manufacturer] to get that device certified … by the end of this year, most major smartphone modems will support the Skylo network.”
Intel Capital’s Managing Director, Dave Johnson, commends Skylo’s approach of leveraging existing infrastructure and engineering an end-to-end solution for seamless customer adoption. The company’s network extends to base stations installed at satellite gateways, facilitating initial service in the U.S., Canada, and Europe through partnerships with satellite operators like Viasat, Ligado, and TerreStar.
Skylo, which currently employs 52 people across offices in Mountain View, Finland, and India, remains focused on scalability and revenue generation, with plans for expansion and partnership diversification in the satellite communications landscape.
