French satellite startup Univity secures €27M in Series A funding.

      Founded in 2022 and previously known as Constellation Technologies & Operations, Univity aims to create a network of at least 1,600 satellites in very low Earth orbit. It plans to utilize telecom operators’ own 5G mmWave spectrum, avoiding direct competition with these operators. The latest Series A funding has increased total financing to €68 million, which includes equity, debt, subsidies, and contract revenues.

      The Paris-based satellite connectivity startup, Univity, has secured around €27 million (approximately $32 million) in a Series A round led by investment firms Blast and Expansion Ventures, along with France’s Deeptech 2030 fund, managed by Bpifrance, and two family offices. Founder and president Charles Delfieux states that the company has raised a total of €68 million so far, which encompasses equity, debt, subsidies, and contract revenues from France’s CNES space agency.

      The funds from Series A will support the uniShape demonstration program, which involves building, launching, and operating two very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellites by February 2028 to validate the company's comprehensive 5G connectivity system prior to commercial launch.

      Univity presents a unique strategic approach in the satellite connectivity sector. Instead of directly providing internet access to end-users like Starlink—which currently operates over 6,000 satellites and dominates the market—Univity is constructing infrastructure for telecom operators to enhance their existing 5G services via satellite.

      The technology relies on telecom operators' own 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum for satellite connectivity, meaning users can employ their current phone plans and SIM cards with Univity’s satellites just like they would with terrestrial towers. By acting as a neutral wholesale infrastructure provider, Univity sidesteps competition with potential clients and positions itself as a foundational layer in an operator’s network rather than as a competing service.

      The company's operating altitude of roughly 375 kilometers, notably lower than Starlink's altitude of about 550 kilometers, is central to its technological advantages. Being closer to Earth decreases signal latency, improves performance for smartphones and connected vehicles, and enables the use of smaller, less expensive ground terminals. The trade-off involves increased aerodynamic drag, which accelerates fuel depletion; however, Univity's satellites are designed to minimize drag, allowing for approximately seven years of operation before they exhaust their propellant, according to Delfieux.

      Univity has already showcased its core technology. In June 2025, the company launched its first regenerative 5G mmWave payload for space communications, a demonstrative technology known as uniSpark, which actively processes and manages 5G signals in orbit instead of merely relaying them. The Series A funding will facilitate the next phase: launching two complete prototype satellites as part of the uniShape mission in 2027, aimed at demonstrating high-throughput, low-latency 5G connectivity through VLEO satellites connected to gateway stations and ground terminals. A successful demonstration would pave the way for the company's commercial launch of the uniSky constellation starting in 2028.

      Univity's constellation goals have expanded since earlier announcements. The company is now targeting an initial network of at least 1,600 satellites, an increase from the previously reported target of 1,500, with a long-term vision that may reach up to 3,400 satellites. When operating at full scale, Delfieux envisions a manufacturing rate of two satellites per day, launching in batches of approximately 30 roughly once a month, with a seven-year replenishment cycle. The total expense of deploying the constellation on this scale could amount to several billion euros.

      Univity's funding structure highlights both commercial and sovereign aspects of the initiative. In September 2025, CNES awarded the company €31 million through France’s France 2030 national investment program as part of a larger €44 million initiative with further industrial co-financing. Bpifrance’s involvement in this Series A via its Deeptech 2030 fund underscores the project’s state-backed nature. Stéphane Lefevre-Sauli, senior investment director at Bpifrance, indicated that Univity’s VLEO and space-based 5G technologies are crucial for keeping European telecommunications firms competitive as space and terrestrial networks converge.

      French telecommunications infrastructure provider TDF, which has entered a strategic partnership with Univity, will host and operate three gateway stations—two in mainland France and one overseas—critical for linking the satellite network to terrestrial operator networks.

      The competitive landscape for European satellite connectivity is still influenced by the strong presence of American and Chinese companies. Starlink has a significant advantage in low Earth orbit broadband; Amazon’s Kuiper constellation is growing rapidly; OneWeb (now known as Eutelsat OneWeb) caters to enterprise and government sectors from medium Earth orbit; and the EU’s IRIS² constellation program is being developed as a government-supported alternative.

      Univity’s model of selling wholesale to operators occupies a unique position in