IC-startup vil 'demokratisere' satellitbaseret kommunikation

TUSK IC - der er et 'spin-out' fra KU Leuven - har fået tilført 15 mio. euro i indledende funding til at realisere målet med at gøre Ka-band satellitteknologi billigere og bredere tilgængeligt.

TUSK IC, a spin-out of KU Leuven and developer of CMOS ICs for the automotive, industrial and SatCom segments, today announced the successful closing of its Series A funding round. This funding accelerates the commercialization of the world's first Standard CMOS-based Beamformer ICs for Ka-band SatCom. 

TUSK’s Beamformers are a key building block of Flat Panel Antennas (FPAs), and enable a lower-cost, lower-power alternative to the SiGe and Specialty CMOS technologies used in SatCom user terminals today.

Ka-band communication is particularly attractive as it enables fast, high-capacity SatCom data links. In combination with mainstream CMOS semiconductor technology, the TUSK IC solution brings scalable, affordable connectivity to the next generation of LEO and MEO (Low & Medium Earth Orbit) satellite constellations.

The investment round is led by Matterwave Ventures , FORWARD.one, and Flanders Future Tech Fund, managed by PMV, with participation from the Schaubroeck family and continued support from the current investors. Together they underscore strong confidence from experienced investors with a proven track record in SatCom and semiconductor ventures.

Earlier this year, TUSK IC announced the award of a new contract from the European Space Agency (ESA), with the support of BELSPO. The contract is funded under the Industrial Competitiveness line within ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme.

With €15 million in funding, TUSK IC is well-capitalized to execute its growth strategy and accelerate the commercialization of its breakthrough SatCom technology. TUSK IC is working with a leading satcom manufacturer to integrate its technology into the development of a new Electronically Steered Array antenna.

- The future of connectivity will be determined not only by the constellations in orbit, but also by the technologies that make high-performance user terminals scalable and affordable on the ground. TUSK IC combines leading-edge mmWave innovation with the economics and scalability of standard CMOS, addressing a critical bottleneck in satellite communications. We believe this positions the company to underpin a more diverse and resilient space-based communications infrastructure, says Silviu Apostu, Partner at Matterwave Ventures.

- By bringing the economic and manufacturing advantages of CMOS to satellite communications, TUSK IC is democratizing high-performance connectivity from space, adds Arjan Göbel, General Partner at FORWARD.one. 

- Its unique combination of breakthrough semiconductor technology and a scalable manufacturing approach positions the company to play an important role in the rapidly expanding global satellite communications market.

SatCom meets CMOS

As a fabless semiconductor company TUSK IC is developing highly integrated mmWave ICs and antenna modules for the automotive, industrial, and satellite communications segments. 

By bringing standard CMOS technology to satellite connectivity, TUSK IC makes next-generation SatCom solutions more affordable, scalable, and accessible: a breakthrough in this demanding and fast-growing segment. TUSK IC is a spin-out from KU Leuven’s highly renowned MICAS group, with early financial backing from Gemma Frisius Fund and KU Leuven Research and Development.

TUSK IC’s ConnectKa portfolio of beamformer ICs, antenna modules, and development platforms enables equipment manufacturers to accelerate the development of electronically steerable flat-panel antennas for LEO and MEO satellite networks. 

Its range of highly reliable, energy-efficient chips, are designed for high-yield volume manufacturing, with a modular system level approach to reduce design complexity and shorten development cycles. The TUSK IC technology enables affordable and low power European connectivity to LEO -and multi-orbit- satellite constellations.