SWISSto12, a Lausanne-based aerospace manufacturer, has secured €73M ($84.8M) in funding from European Space Agency member states to advance its HummingSat satellite programme. The financing is provided through the ESA ARTES HummingSat public-private partnership.
The funding will be used to accelerate development and industrialisation of HummingSat, expand manufacturing capacity, and support further innovation across SWISSto12’s satellite and radio frequency product portfolio.
ESA support through the HummingSat partnership
The investment forms part of the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme under ESA Connectivity and Secure Communications. It was formally endorsed at the 2025 ESA ministerial conference, with contributions pledged by Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, and associate member Canada.
In addition to the ESA-backed funding, SWISSto12 also secured private European investment in the second half of 2025, bringing the company’s total funding to more than €100M.
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A smaller and more agile GEO satellite model
HummingSat is designed as a compact, cost-efficient alternative to traditional geostationary telecommunications satellites. Developed in close collaboration with ESA, the platform aims to deliver flexible transponder capacity, software-defined payloads, and faster deployment timelines.
The satellite is intended to support network expansion, sovereign communications capabilities, and agile service models, addressing growing demand for adaptable space infrastructure.
From RF innovation to satellite systems
Founded in 2011 as a spin-off from EPFL, SWISSto12 specialises in advanced RF components and satellite systems. Its technology is built on patented 3D-printing techniques that enable lightweight, compact, and high-performance RF solutions across space and ground applications.
The company plans to use the new funding to further develop phased-array antenna technologies for LEO, MEO, and GEO satellites, as well as ground-based user terminals, broadening its reach across multiple orbital regimes.
Preparing for launch and industrial scale-up
HummingSat is scheduled for its first launch with SES in 2027. SWISSto12 positions the platform as a step toward shifting the satellite communications industry away from large, capital-intensive systems toward smaller, software-defined, and reconfigurable assets.
With ESA support and growing private investment, SWISSto12 aims to strengthen Europe’s role in satellite communications while enabling more nations to access sovereign and flexible space-based connectivity.
