LiveEO secures €28 million for its satellite technology stack focused on civil infrastructure.

      The Berlin-based geospatial-AI firm has completed the initial tranche of a new funding round, with backing from defense VC Helantic, alongside Nordic Ninja, MMC, and the EIC. The majority of the funds are directed toward the same product, but the strategic change involves who else will have the opportunity to purchase it.

      In 2026, European defense-tech funding rounds are no longer being secured with a solely defense-focused approach. On Tuesday, LiveEO, also based in Berlin, disclosed a first close of €28 million for its upcoming funding round, welcoming Helantic and the European Innovation Council (EIC) as new investors, along with b2ventures.

      The list of existing investors, including Nordic Ninja, DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Matterwave Ventures, MMC Ventures, Segenia Capital, and Greencode Ventures, is mostly the same group that supported the company's €25 million Series B in June 2024, aimed at managing climate risk and critical infrastructure.

      The makeup of the cap table signifies the changes that have occurred, although the product, according to LiveEO, remains consistent. The strategic shift concerns the different buyers it can attract.

      Founded in Berlin in 2018 by Daniel Seidel and Sven Przywarra, LiveEO emerged when the two, who met at an aerospace exhibition, recognized the unmet need bridging the gap between satellite data availability and its industrial application. They dedicated eight years to developing a platform to address this gap.

      LiveEO currently offers three primary products: TradeAware (for compliance with EU Deforestation Regulation), Treeline (for vegetation management servicing utilities and rail operators), and SurfaceScout (for oil and gas pipeline monitoring).

      The customer base has expanded accordingly, with LiveEO now providing services to utilities, rail operators, and pipeline networks across five continents. The commercial approach has been intentionally enterprise-focused, characterized by long-term monitoring contracts, integration with existing operator workflows via APIs, and AI-driven outputs for risk prioritization that customers can directly use for their inspection and maintenance planning.

      Earlier this year, LiveEO introduced its own satellite constellation, Twinspector, specifically designed for imaging infrastructure corridors (the elongated areas where power lines, railways, and pipelines are located) with up to 35 cm 3D-stereo resolution. Reflex Aerospace was chosen to create the satellite platforms, and in April 2026, the European Space Agency's InCubed program awarded LiveEO a substantial contract for the constellation.

      Two key elements form the strategic announcement, both of which hold significance. The first is straightforward: the company has secured new growth capital from its familiar deep-tech and climate-focused syndicate, with added validation from the European Innovation Council.

      The previous €25 million round was specifically aimed at applications for civil infrastructure and climate risk. The announced first close of €28 million on Tuesday represents a gradual step rather than a significant leap in funding.

      The second aspect sheds more light on the cap table. Helantic, the primary new institutional investor, is a dedicated defense venture fund. LiveEO’s press release explicitly states the reason for this involvement: "The same satellite and AI stack that is already proven in civil use cases is directly applicable to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), infrastructure protection, and situational awareness.”

      This declaration, particularly for a company initially focused on monitoring vegetation for utilities, signifies a strategic pivot. TNW has previously covered the rise of Helsing as Europe’s foremost defense-AI operator and its partnership with Mistral on military VLA models; LiveEO is now positioning itself within the same broader sector, focusing on geospatial data instead of autonomous systems.

      Currently, LiveEO stands as one of the strategically aligned European Earth-observation companies of 2026, its cap table reflecting the intersection of interests in civil infrastructure, climate, and defense investments, alongside a product roadmap that spans satellite manufacturing, AI orchestration, and enterprise inspection routing.

      The €28 million first close marks the beginning of a new phase rather than the conclusion of the funding round. What follows in the upcoming months will determine if the dual-use concept will evolve into a foundational model for European deep tech or remain a strategic positioning compromised by procurement realities.