constellr Secures €37 Million Series A Funding to Deliver Defence Grade Thermal Intelligence

• Closing the Gap in Europe's Sovereign Resilience and Defence Capabilities in Space

• Securing One of the Largest Series A Investments in European Space Tech

Munich, Germany, February 10, 2026. constellr, the global leader in high-precision thermal intelligence from space, has raised €37 million in Series A funding, one of the largest Series A rounds in European space technology to date, led by Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar. The investment will accelerate the expansion of constellr’s pioneering, fully operational thermal intelligence capabilities and advance the system to defence grade status for governments, military entities and security agencies. constellr closes the critical gap in Europe’s sovereign intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) architecture by delivering the missing third axis. Its high precision thermal intelligence adds the behavioural insight layer, revealing what assets are doing and why, complementing radar’s structural mapping and optical imaging’s visual classification.  

constellr strengthens European resilience and deterrence by providing sovereign control over critical intelligence in an increasingly contested geopolitical landscape. This aligns with European space policy's unprecedented emphasis on and multi-billion investments in security-driven missions and rapid deployment of strategic capabilities. constellr is the only proven operational provider of high-resolution thermal infrared data based in the European Union, delivering measurement precision unmatched in the commercial domain.  

constellr's technology delivers earlier detection, independent verification, and highly reliable assessments of activity in contested or deceptive environments. Defence and security forces can uncover hidden operations, track non-cooperative assets, and anticipate deployments before they occur, even where conventional monitoring is impossible.  

In one recent intelligence request, constellr’s thermal infrared data was used for strategic intelligence to monitor maritime activity in the vicinity of the Rybachiy nuclear submarine base in Russia. By detecting subtle temperature variations on the water surface and around pier infrastructure, constellr enabled the analysis of vessel presence and movement patterns, particularly during night-time operations where optical imagery is limited. Thermal signatures of wakes remained observable for up to 60 minutes, allowing inference of direction and speed of vessels, while distinct thermal patterns around piers confirmed presence of submarines. This thermal layer complements very high-resolution optical data and serves as an independent means to corroborate and validate open-source intelligence, which can be scarce or unreliable. Thermal analysis can be used to assess critical infrastructure including missile fuel depots, covert manufacturing sites, and critical logistics hubs.

The significantly oversubscribed financing round was led by Alpine Space Ventures, with co-lead Lakestar, and participation from Semapa Next, Bayern Kapital, Cardumen Capital, Cooperative Ventures, Kineo Finance, and strong continued support from existing shareholders, including Vsquared, CosmiCapital, Fraunhofer Technologie-Transfer Fonds, and EIC Fund. The series A investment brings total funding to 75 million. Funding will drive the expansion of constellr’s satellite constellation for broader global coverage, enable next-generation platforms with sub-5-metre resolution, and ensure secure, sovereign control over data-driven intelligence for national and allied defence customers.

Dr. 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 detecting rocket and airbase activity to identifying active reactors and hidden industrial operations. Europe must own this capability. constellr is already delivering operational intelligence today, and this funding accelerates our path to full defence-grade performance to close critical gaps in Europe’s sovereign ISR architecture.”

Bulent Altan – Alpine Space Ventures:  

“constellr’s technology delivers an intelligence capability Europe has long needed: the ability to see not just where assets are, but how they are operating - the behavioural insight that turns detection into intent assessment. This funding will take an already operational system and scale it through the first steps into series production to full defence-grade performance, giving Europe the missing third axis in sovereign ISR.”  

Klaus Hommels – Lakestar:  

“Fostering European tech resilience and sovereignty is Lakestar’s core mission. Our continent’s strategic autonomy and defence capabilities depend on mastering every dimension of space-based intelligence. constellr’s pioneering technology stack adds the crucial behavioural layer to the ISR ecosystem. Lakestar is proud to support the transition from proven operational capability to full defence-grade readiness.”

About constellr
constellr is Europe’s leading provider of thermal infrared intelligence for precise monitoring of the planet’s temperature. Through its Constellation-as-a-Service (CaaS) model, constellr delivers high-precision Land Surface Temperature data from space – with 2.0 °C absolute accuracy and 0.1 °C sensitivity, enabling early detection, independent verification, and decision-ready insights across defence, security, infrastructure, and strategic domains. Its cryocooled sensor technology, fully European supply chain, and sovereign data control make it a trusted partner to national governments and agencies.

Media Contact:
Rosa Schmidt
press@constellr.com

Image 1 – Daytime activity: High-resolution thermal data reveals vessel movement and a persistent subsurface signature near strategic naval infrastructure. Temperature-based patterns provide insight into operational activity beyond what optical imagery alone can confirm.

Image 2 – Nighttime activity: Thermal infrared intelligence highlights small vessel operations and sustained subsurface heat signatures during night conditions. The data enables continuous monitoring of maritime behaviour independent of visibility or light.

If you require a higher-resolution version of these images, please contact press@constellr.com. 

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