LiveEO raises €28M to build its own satellite constellation
What's the deal? Berlin-based LiveEO, which uses AI to analyse satellite imagery for infrastructure and defence clients, has raised €28M in a round led by b2venture, with participation from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund and Helantic. The funding will help the company build and launch its own satellite constellation.
Why now? LiveEO has until now relied on third-party satellite data. Building a proprietary constellation gives it control over data quality, coverage, and revisit frequency — critical factors as demand grows from both commercial infrastructure operators and defence customers. The European defence and space sectors are seeing a surge of investment as governments push for strategic autonomy.
What could go wrong? Building and launching satellites is capital-intensive and technically complex. LiveEO will be moving from a relatively asset-light software model to one that involves hardware in orbit — a shift that introduces new risks around launch delays, satellite performance, and ongoing operational costs.
The signal: This round reflects two converging trends in European tech: the growing commercialisation of space infrastructure and the increasing appetite for dual-use technologies that serve both civilian and defence markets. As more startups move to own their data pipelines end to end, expect further vertical integration across the geospatial intelligence stack.
Read more: Tech Funding News
