Astrocast

Astrocast SA is a global nanosatellite IoT network operator founded in 2014 as a spin-off from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) by Fabien Jordan, Federico Belloni, Bertil Chapuis, Julian Harris, Nicholas Petrig, and Jean Michel Jordan. CEO Fabien Jordan has a 15-year background in space systems engineering, including work on SwissCube, the longest-operating nanosatellite, and for the ESA ExoMars Rover Mission, which informed his vision for using nanosatellite constellations for IoT communications.

The company provides cost-effective, bidirectional satellite IoT (SatIoT) services to connect assets in remote areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable. Its business model is based on multi-year subscriptions for data plans, communication modules, and a cloud-based REST API for device integration and monitoring. Astrocast serves industries such as agriculture and livestock, maritime, oil and gas, mining, environmental monitoring, and connected vehicles. Its clients include companies like Marine Instruments and Wildlife Computers. The acquisition of Hiber in 2022 expanded its client base to include major energy companies like ExxonMobil and Shell.

Astrocast's core offering is an end-to-end service comprising its satellite constellation, ground stations, and the Astronode S communication module. The company designs, builds, and tests its products in-house. The Astronode S is an ultra-low power, miniaturized module with a small L-band patch antenna, developed in partnership with Airbus, CEA/LETI, and the European Space Agency (ESA). A key feature is its commercial access to the L-band spectrum via a strategic alliance with Thuraya, which provides reliable connectivity. The company launched its first satellites in December 2018 and plans to operate a full constellation of 100 nanosatellites. As of November 2024, it had 19 operational CubeSats in orbit.

Initially private, Astrocast went public in August 2021, listing on the Euronext Growth market in Oslo to fund the expansion of its constellation, raising CHF 40 million. Key investors include Adit Ventures, Airbus Ventures, Palantir, and various venture capital firms and family offices. In May 2022, Astrocast acquired Netherlands-based IoT-as-a-service provider Hiber, a move intended to accelerate its OEM strategy, expand its product portfolio with solutions like remote oil well monitoring, and add coverage of the Americas.

Keywords: satellite IoT, SatIoT, nanosatellite constellation, M2M communication, remote asset tracking, L-band connectivity, IoT network operator, bidirectional communication, CubeSats, low-power modules, Astronode S, global connectivity, remote monitoring, Fabien Jordan, EPFL spin-off, Hiber acquisition, Airbus, Thuraya, European Space Agency, asset management, maritime IoT, agriculture technology, oil & gas monitoring, environmental sensing, telematics