NATO Innovation Fund backs Thermal Intelligence with Multi-Million SatVu Investment

SatVu, capturing the highest resolution thermal data from space for a safer and more sustainable Earth, led by Anthony Baker, Tobias Reinicke, Camilla Taylor, and Scott Herman, has closed a £30m ($40m) funding round bringing its total equity funding to £60m ($80m), as it accelerates from single-satellite demonstration to execution of a multi-satellite constellation. The round completes with a strategic investment from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), together with British Business Bank, Space Frontiers Fund II (with SPARX Asset Management Co. Ltd. as the Fund Manager), and Presto Tech Horizons. The round includes existing investors Molten Ventures (lead), Adara Ventures, Ridgeline Ventures, Lockheed Martin, Seraphim Space Fund, and Stellar Ventures.

SatVu plans two satellites for orbit in 2026 and has three more under contract, forming a multi-satellite constellation that increases revisit frequency and enables persistent monitoring of activity and operational readiness. HotSat-2 and HotSat-3 are scheduled for 2026, while HotSat-4 and HotSat-5, along with long-lead elements of HotSat-6, secure the path to constellation deployment.

The funding supports upcoming launches and accelerates the development of scalable thermal intelligence capabilities. As the constellation progresses, SatVu moves from demonstrating capability toward commercial scaling, strengthening credibility with sovereign and defense customers.

Camilla Taylor, Chief Financial Officer at SatVu, said the funding secures the company’s ability to execute at scale with a clear path to a multi-satellite constellation and investors aligned with its pace. The round enables rapid transition to sustained delivery, supporting commercial scaling and the next growth phase.

Anthony Baker, Co-Founder and CEO of SatVu, said the company was created to provide governments with otherwise inaccessible intelligence through high-resolution thermal imagery that reveals activity around buildings and critical infrastructure day and night. The capability enables assessment of readiness and operational change for defense and sovereign decision-making.

The investment supports scaling a UK-built sovereign thermal constellation for government customers across allied nations, enhancing monitoring of infrastructure and supply chains, detection of covert activity, and broader ISR use while improving the company’s ability to respond to evolving security requirements.

Trisha Saxena, Senior Associate at NATO Innovation Fund, said SatVu’s thermal intelligence provides governments and businesses across NATO countries with previously unavailable data, supporting security, finance, and commodities sectors and helping protect defence and economic activity across the alliance.

George Mills, Investment Director at British Business Bank, said SatVu has demonstrated strong strategic value amid rising demand for defence innovation, and the funding will support scaling and additional contracts.

SatVu’s development has also been backed by UK government defence innovation programmes, including a Defence Innovation Loan from the Defence and Security Accelerator, now part of UK Defence Innovation.

Luke Pollard, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, said the government remains focused on scaling British SMEs and startups that strengthen national security and defence innovation.

Support for SatVu through a defence innovation loan has helped catalyze £30 million in additional private investment, reinforcing sovereign capabilities and contributing to economic growth via UK Defence Innovation programmes.

The funding enables SatVu to accelerate deployment of a high-resolution thermal constellation built for persistent, reliable global insight.

As governments prioritize resilience and sovereign intelligence, SatVu is shifting from demonstration to scaled delivery, creating a persistent decision-making layer for defence, security, and critical infrastructure.