constellr Strengthens Europe’s Space-Based ISR With €37M Funding Round

constellr, Europe’s leading provider of high-precision thermal intelligence from space, has secured €37 million in Series A funding, marking one of the largest Series A rounds in European space technology to date. The round was led by Alpine Space Ventures with co-lead Lakestar.

The investment accelerates the expansion of constellr’s fully operational thermal intelligence system and advances it to defense-grade capability for governments, armed forces, and security agencies. At a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, the company is closing a critical gap in Europe’s sovereign intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) architecture.

The Missing Third Axis of ISR

While radar maps structure and optical imagery classify objects, thermal intelligence reveals behavior—what assets are doing and why. constellr delivers this missing third axis, enabling decision-makers to detect operational change earlier, verify activity independently, and generate reliable assessments even in contested or deceptive environments.

As the only proven, operational provider of high-resolution thermal infrared data based in the European Union, constellr offers measurement precision that remains unmatched in the commercial market. Its capabilities align directly with Europe’s growing emphasis on security-driven space missions and sovereign control over strategic intelligence.

From Detection to Intent

Thermal intelligence allows defense and security forces to uncover hidden operations, track non-cooperative assets, and anticipate deployments—often before they become visible through conventional means. This includes monitoring activity at critical infrastructure such as missile fuel depots, covert manufacturing sites, logistics hubs, and energy facilities.

In a recent intelligence tasking, constellr’s data supported strategic maritime monitoring near Russia’s Rybachiy nuclear submarine base. By analyzing subtle temperature variations on water surfaces and around pier infrastructure, analysts identified vessel presence and movement patterns during night-time operations when optical imagery was constrained. Thermal signatures of wakes remained visible for up to 60 minutes, enabling inference of vessel direction and speed, while distinct heat patterns around piers indicated submarine presence. Used alongside very high-resolution optical imagery, the thermal layer provided independent corroboration where open-source intelligence was limited or unreliable.

Scaling Europe’s Sovereign Capability

The significantly oversubscribed round also included participation from Semapa Next, Bayern Kapital, Cardumen Capital, Cooperative Ventures, Kineo Finance, and continued support from existing shareholders including Vsquared, CosmiCapital, Fraunhofer Technologie-Transfer Fonds, and the EIC Fund. With this raise, constellr’s total funding reaches €75 million.

The capital will be used to expand the company’s satellite constellation for broader global coverage, develop next-generation platforms with sub-5-meter resolution, and ensure secure, sovereign control over data for national and allied defense customers.

Max Gulde, CEO & Co-Founder, constellr:“Sovereign resilience requires understanding real activity on the ground—not just seeing objects. Thermal intelligence provides the earliest and most reliable signal of operational change, from rocket launches to airbase activity and hidden industrial operations. Europe must own this capability. constellr is already delivering operational intelligence today, and this funding accelerates our path to full defense-grade performance.”

Bulent Altan, Alpine Space Ventures:“constellr delivers an intelligence capability Europe has long needed: behavioral insight that turns detection into intent assessment. This investment scales an already operational system toward full defense-grade performance—adding the missing third axis to Europe’s sovereign ISR.”

Dr. Klaus Hommels, Lakestar:“European strategic autonomy depends on mastering every dimension of space-based intelligence. constellr’s technology adds the crucial behavioral layer to the ISR ecosystem. We’re proud to support its transition from proven capability to defense-grade readiness.”