This Portuguese Startup Just Raised $17M to Keep Satellites Safe in a Crowded Space

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-05

The space above us is getting crowded. Really crowded. And it's not just about dodging debris anymore—satellites now face everything from cyber attacks to signal jamming. That's why Neuraspace, a company based in Coimbra, Portugal, just secured a hefty $17 million in new financing to tackle these challenges head-on. The funding round combines strategic private investment from Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, and Armilar Venture Partners, along with support from Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRRP). It's a vote of confidence that signals serious momentum for the company. ### From Safety to Security: An Evolving Mission Chiara Manfletti, CEO of Neuraspace, explains how the company's focus has shifted since its founding in 2020. "When Neuraspace was founded, our mission was to make space safer," she says. "That mission has evolved with the operational reality. Today, protecting satellites means addressing both accidental risks and intentional threats. Safety and security are no longer separate challenges—they are two sides of the same operational problem." It's a smart way to look at things. Collisions are still a major concern, but the threat landscape has expanded. Satellite operators now have to worry about: - Cyber attacks targeting their systems - Radio-frequency interference that disrupts signals - GNSS spoofing and jamming that can mislead navigation - Sophisticated counterspace activities from adversarial nations ### What Neuraspace Actually Does The company's platform pulls together data from both commercial and sovereign sensors. It combines that with high-precision orbit determination and AI-powered risk assessment. The result? Autonomous decision support that helps operators detect, assess, and respond to threats much faster than before. This isn't just about avoiding a crash. It's about giving commercial operators, government agencies, and defense organizations the tools they need to operate with confidence in an increasingly contested environment. ### Impressive Growth and Big Contracts Neuraspace isn't just talking a big game. The company reports revenue growth of more than 350% over the past year. It currently monitors over 600 satellites for clients including Spire Global, GEOSAT, NanoAvionics, Sidus Space, U-Space, and the European Space Agency. They've also secured contracts with the Portuguese Air Force and NATO. Recently, they were selected as prime contractor by the European MoD. That's a serious endorsement of their capabilities. ### What's Next for the $17M So where's the money going? The company plans to expand its AI platform, accelerate autonomous mission operations, and grow its proprietary optical sensing infrastructure. They're also doubling down on NeuraspaceDEF, their dual-use capability that supports government and defense users with resilient Space Domain Awareness services. Vasco Pereira Coutinho, CEO of Lince Capital, is bullish on the company's prospects. "Neuraspace has established itself as one of Europe's most promising space technology companies," he says, "combining outstanding technical execution with growing commercial traction in a market of increasing strategic importance." ### Why This Matters for Europe This funding isn't just good news for one company. It's a step toward Europe's technological sovereignty in space. By building its own sensing infrastructure and AI capabilities, Europe can reduce its dependence on external surveillance systems. That's increasingly important as space becomes a more contested domain. With this new capital, Neuraspace is positioning itself to be a major player in the space domain awareness market. And with the threat landscape only getting more complex, their timing couldn't be better.