British Business Bank invests £5m in SatVu
Press release
The British Business Bank has invested £5 million into SatVu, the UK-based satellite thermal intelligence company, as part of a £30 million funding round.
The round includes investment from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), together with SPARX Space Frontiers Fund and Presto Ventures, and includes participation from existing investors including Molten Ventures, Adara Ventures, Ridgeline Ventures, NOA, Lockheed Martin, Seraphim Space Fund and Stellar Ventures.
SatVu uses satellites with thermal imagery technology to provide intelligence that can inform decision making across defence and security. This funding will support near-term launches and accelerate the build-out required to deliver persistent, scalable thermal intelligence.
SatVu has two satellites planned for orbit in 2026 and an additional three initiated under contract, mapping a path to deliver a multi-satellite constellation.
Leandros Kalisperas, Chief Investment Officer at British Business Bank, said:
The British Business Bank now has greater flexibility in how we invest, allowing us to take direct stakes in a broader range of the UK’s fastest-growing companies, from early-stage innovators through to unicorns. We will continue to invest in companies developing breakthrough technology at Series A and Series B where patient capital is needed to fund R&D and growth. SatVu is a strong example of the Bank’s ongoing role in providing this important funding.
George Mills, Investment Director at British Business Bank, said:
SatVu has created a unique technology at a time of great demand for defence innovation. They have proved the strategic value of their technology so we are pleased to provide the funding that will help them to scale and win further contracts.
Anthony Baker, Co-Founder and CEO at SatVu, said:
SatVu was founded to give governments access to intelligence they cannot access elsewhere. High-resolution thermal imagery from space reveals activity that is otherwise invisible - day and night - including heat signatures associated with operations inside and around buildings and critical infrastructure. This round strengthens our ability to deliver at scale, accelerating our strategy and increasing our agility to respond to evolving defence and security requirements - positioning SatVu to be the partner of choice for nations that cannot afford uncertainty in an increasingly contested world.
Further Information
If you are a journalist and have a media enquiry, please contact mediaenquiries@british-business-bank.co.uk.
Notes to editors
About the British Business Bank
The British Business Bank is the UK government’s economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to drive economic growth by helping smaller businesses get the finance they need to start, scale and stay in the UK. In doing so, we help capture the economic value of innovation for the UK and create jobs and prosperity for people across the country.
The British Business Bank’s core programmes support £23bn of finance to almost 64,000 smaller businesses.
British Business Bank plc is a public limited company registered in England and Wales, registration number 08616013, registered office at Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ. It is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. British Business Bank plc and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. With the exception of BBB Investment Services Limited they are not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority. BBB Investment Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. A complete legal structure chart for the group can be found at british-business-bank.co.uk.
The transaction described above does not constitute or imply any endorsement, warranty or recommendation by the UK government, the British Business Bank plc, its subsidiaries or any other party in respect of SatVu or its products or services.
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