Univity raises $31.63 million Series-A funding for VLEO 5G satellite demonstrator project

French low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator Univity closed a €27 million ($31.63 million) Series-A funding round to advance its uniShape very low Earth orbit (VLEO) 5G demonstrator project. The round included investments from Blast.Club, Expansion, the Deeptech 2030 Fund (managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French State under the France 2030 initiative), and two family offices. The funds will support the development of two 5G satellites designed to validate end-to-end high-throughput 5G connectivity via satellite and direct-to-cell smartphone connections, with ground station and end-user device integration. Univity plans to scale operations from 2028, positioning the project as a strategic response to Europe's telecom sovereignty challenges amid competition from vertically integrated models like Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper. The initiative received an additional €31 million ($36 million) in public funding from CNES in September 2025 as part of France 2030's call for 5G development projects, bringing total combined financing to $51.26 million. The VLEO approach offers improved performance, safer operations, and more predictable satellite re-entries compared to traditional LEO constellations.

Counterparts (7)

Investor

Bpifrance

company · 2 deals

Bpifrance is a French public investment bank that supports companies with financing, investment, and guarantees. It focuses on supporting innovation, growth, and international development of French businesses.

Expansion

company · 1 deals

New York-based energy technology developer and licensor specializing in cryogenic gas processing innovations, including small-scale LNG liquefaction, bulk power storage, and carbon capture technologies.

D

Deeptech 2030 Fund

company · 1 deals

Blast.Club

company · 1 deals

Blast.Club is a private investment club that allows members to invest in high-potential startups, particularly those from Y Combinator, with investments starting from €1,000. The club offers access to approximately 20 fundraising opportunities annually, exclusive training, a member directory, events in 14 European cities, and a Discord forum.

Developer

Univity

company · 1 deals

Space infrastructure company developing a VLEO satellite constellation to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband and direct-to-device connectivity for telecom operators globally.

Partner

CNES (Centre national d'études spatiales)

company · 1 deals

Paris-based French government space agency responsible for implementing national space policy, coordinating European space programs, and operating launch sites. Manages France's space infrastructure including the Centre Spatial Guyanais launch site.

parent_company

F

French State (France 2030)

company · 1 deals