French startup Univity has raised around $32 million to deploy a pair of 5G demonstrators into very low Earth orbit next year, ahead of plans for at least 1,600 VLEO satellites to help telecom operators extend 5G coverage from space.
The four-year-old venture announced the Series A round April 23, which included further backing from a fund that French investment firm Bpifrance manages on behalf of France's government.
Stéphane Lefevre-Sauli, a senior investment director at Bpifrance, said Univity's VLEO and space-based 5G technologies are critical to helping telcos remain competitive as space and terrestrial networks become more integrated.
