SWISSto12 secures EUR 73 million ESA backing for HummingSat satellite platform

Renens-based aerospace company SWISSto12 has secured EUR 73 million in financial support from European Space Agency member states to advance the development and industrialization of its HummingSat satellite platform. The funding was committed at the ESA Council at Ministerial Level in November 2025 through the ARTES HummingSat Partnership Project.

The public funding, combined with additional private investment secured in the second half of 2025, brings total financing raised by SWISSto12 to more than €100 million. According to the company, this reflects strong institutional and investor confidence in its ability to deliver cost-effective, agile and sovereign satellite communications solutions for both commercial and government customers.

Developed in partnership with ESA, HummingSat is a compact geostationary telecommunications satellite designed to address growing demand for flexible capacity, software-defined payloads and rapid deployment. The first launch is scheduled for 2027 for SES, followed by deployment for Viasat.

Scaling production and next-generation satellite technologies

The ESA funding will support the industrialization of HummingSat, the scaling of manufacturing capacity and further development of SWISSto12’s phased-array antenna technologies for LEO, MEO and GEO satellite payloads, as well as ground terminals. These capabilities aim to serve applications ranging from maritime and aeronautical connectivity to secure sovereign communications and broadband access in remote regions.

Backed by ESA member states including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway and Canada, the project reinforces Western Switzerland’s role in the evolving satellite communications ecosystem and positions SWISSto12 as a key player in next-generation space infrastructure.