Another space start-up has raised venture funding to support its plan to launch a constellation of imaging microsatellites into low Earth orbit. Hera Systems has raised US$650,000 of seed funding from undisclosed investors to help develop its project….
Another space start-up has raised venture funding to support its plan to launch a constellation of imaging microsatellites into low Earth orbit.
Hera Systems has raised US$650,000 of seed funding from undisclosed investors to help develop its project. The company wants to operate a high resolution geospatial satellite imaging system that it could then offer directly to users through a series of mobile, desktop and social networking apps.
Based in San Jose, California, Hera Systems was founded in 2013 and according to data from Pitchbook completed one previous angel investment when it was launched. Its founder and CEO, Bobby Machinski, previously formed MACH-T3 Engineering, a 3D solid modelling and mechanical design specialist.
Machinski told SatelliteFinance that at this point in the Hera Systems project he was not in a position to discuss the company’s plans, or indeed the state of funding. He added: “We are in the process of building our core expertise and will be making announcements shortly about our progress and our vision for the future.”
Hera Systems joins a multitude of satellite imaging start-ups that are hoping to use relatively cheap small satellite LEO constellations to offer rapidly refreshed Earth observation services.
In the past couple of months, Canada-based UrtheCast announced plans for a 16 satellite constellation and acquired Deimos Imaging; US imagery start-up BlackSky Global raised funding for the first six satellites of a 60-strong constellation; and California-based Planet Labs acquired geospatial solutions group BlackBridge, including its RapidEye constellation of satellite imaging spacecraft.
