Cailabs, a French innovator in optical ground stations for satellite communications, has secured a substantial 57 million euros ($67 million) investment to ramp up production. The company, based in Rennes, France, announced on Sept. 12 that this funding comprised 37 million euros from the European Investment Bank and 20 million euros from various other investors, including Definvest and Fonds Innovation Defense (both French government-backed), NewSpace Capital, the European Innovation Council, Starquest Capital, and Crédit Agricole Ille-et-Vilaine Expansion.
This significant injection of capital will be instrumental in expanding Cailabs' manufacturing capacity for optical ground stations that facilitate laser communications with satellites. “This funding round reflects our solid fundamentals and the confidence investors have in our strategic vision. It enables us to scale up industrial capabilities and prepare for the next stage of growth,” stated Jean-François Morizur, co-founder and chief executive of Cailabs.
Cailabs currently manages contracts for over 10 optical ground stations. The funding will allow them to increase production to 50 stations annually by 2027. Morizur highlighted that the primary demand stems from defense and government sectors, attracted by the high data rates and enhanced security of optical communications. “The biggest demand for the company’s optical ground stations is coming from defense and other government users… citing their interest in the high data rates enabled by optical communications as well as the low probability such communications will be detected or intercepted,” he explained to SpaceNews.
Furthermore, the investment will fuel international growth. Cailabs recently expanded its U.S. presence with a larger office in Arlington, Virginia, and has established distribution partnerships in Japan and South Korea, along with collaborations in Europe and the Middle East. Development efforts will focus on new products, including stations capable of exceeding 100 gigabits per second and transportable ground stations, expanding capabilities to encompass higher orbits.
While their best-selling Tilba-L10 station excels in low Earth orbit communication, Cailabs is already contracted to adapt it for medium and geostationary Earth orbits. Morizur emphasized that Cailabs remains focused on the ground segment: “We focus on the ground segment rather than the satellites themselves, enabling reliable, high-speed links between satellites and Earth.” This strategic focus resonated strongly with investors, mirroring the increasing European investment in space systems with defense applications. As Ambroise Fayolle, EIB vice president, noted, “Space technologies are increasingly important for civilian use as well as for security and defense applications… The project is fully aligned with the EIB strategic priorities of security and defense, and technological innovation under its TechEU program.”