Starlink
Facts
- HQ
- March 2026
- Sectors
- Satellite communications, Broadband, Space
GeekWire Highlights: Amazon Protests, Tesla Cybertruck Test Drive, Veeam's $1.5B Revenue, OpenPipe's $6.7M Funding, and Washington's Fusion Power Support
GeekWire's most popular technology stories for the week of March 24, 2024, covered topics including Amazon protesters opposing fossil fuel use, Tesla Cybertruck test drives in Seattle, Veeam's headquarters move and revenue milestone, OpenPipe's $6.7M funding round, and Washington state's support for fusion power development.
Bellevue Startup Lumen Orbit Raises $2.4M to Launch 300 Satellites for AI Data Processing in Space
Lumen Orbit, a Bellevue-based startup, raised $2.4 million in a pre-seed round to launch a constellation of about 300 satellites aimed at processing data in space using onboard AI before downlinking it to Earth. The company’s founders include ex-McKinsey associate Philip Johnston, Oxford Space Systems and Airbus engineer Ezra Feilden, and former SpaceX software engineer Adi Oltean.
Bill Gates Leads $84M Funding Round to Expand Kymeta's Flat-Panel Antenna Production and Market Reach
Bill Gates led an $84 million funding round for Kymeta, a mobile connectivity startup specializing in flat-panel antennas that provide hybrid cellular-satellite connectivity. The investment will support production acceleration and market expansion, especially for defense and satellite broadband users.
Kymeta and OneWeb Successfully Test u8 Antenna-Based Mobile Satellite Broadband at 200 Mbps Using OneWeb’s LEO Constellation
Kymeta Corp. partnered with OneWeb to test satellite broadband services using Kymeta's u8 flat-panel antenna, achieving promising results for mobile connectivity with OneWeb's LEO satellite network. The tests in Toulouse demonstrated about 200 Mbps reception, targeting first responders, government, military, and enterprise markets.
Astra to Go Public July 1 via Craig McCaw’s Holicity SPAC in $2.1B Deal; Proxy Voting Starts
Astra plans to go public on Nasdaq on July 1 via a merger with Craig McCaw’s SPAC Holicity, a deal that values Astra at $2.1 billion and follows recent launches and business moves including a planned acquisition of Apollo Fusion worth up to $145 million. CEO Chris Kemp said proxy statements for the June 30 shareholder vote are being mailed, and Astra has secured multi-launch work for Planet and aims to use Apollo Fusion propulsion on Spaceflight Inc.’s Sherpa tug.
Electric Era, founded by ex‑SpaceX engineers, raises $3M seed from REMUS Capital to build battery systems for fast EV chargers
Seattle startup Electric Era, founded by former SpaceX engineers, raised a $3 million seed round led by REMUS Capital to build lithium battery storage systems that buffer grid demand at fast EV charging stations; the company expects initial customer deployments in coming months and can manufacture 40 units per week.
Kymeta acquires Lepton Global Solutions to add 17-satellite service network, targets U.S. government and military contracts
Kymeta Corp., the Redmond-based satellite antenna company backed by Bill Gates, acquired Lepton Global Solutions to add satellite service capabilities and strengthen its position for U.S. government and military contracts. Lepton will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary in Tysons Corner with fewer than 15 employees, expanding Kymeta’s workforce to nearly 200; financial terms were not disclosed.
