Aug 26, 2021

26.08.2021 13:05, Isabelle Mitchell Astrocast SA, the leading Swiss IoT- focused nanosatellite company, floated its shares on the Euronext Growth market in Oslo. The listing marks the first chance for investors to acquire shares in an IoT satellite constellation in a public market. Astrocast was a Venture Leader China in 2017, a Venture Leader Mobile in 2020, and one of the TOP 100 Swiss Startups in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, the Lausanne-based company was among the 25 most promising scale-ups in Switzerland. Astrocast solves the IoT blind spot: Current cellular networks cover roughly only 10% of the Earth’s surface, and low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN) cover only a fraction of this. More than 5 billion IoT devices are expected by 2025, and a rapidly growing part of these needs to be connected by satellite. Through its Nanosatellite IoT Network, Astrocast enables companies to track, measure, manage, communicate and control IoT assets from the world’s most remote regions. To meet the growing demand for such services, Astrocast is planning a substantial increase in capacity. “Astrocast is recognized as one of the pioneers and one of the most advanced companies in the world providing low-cost global connectivity for the IoT. Lack of such connectivity has been a roadblock for a massive expansion of this market,” said Fabien Jordan, CEO of Astrocast. 100 satellites by the end of 2024 Prior to the listing on Euronext Growth Oslo, Astrocast offered new shares to investors and raised CHF 40 million in capital. “The fundraise and listing represent major steps for the company as we are now accelerating the deployment of our constellation. After a successful launch of five new satellites in late June this year, the company’s current network comprises 10 operating satellites in orbit. We plan to increase this to a total of 100 satellites by the end of 2024,” said Fabien Jordan. A wide range of investors Several leading investors well acquainted with NewSpace – a term frequently used for the globally emerging, private spaceflight industry – acquired new shares in Astrocast. “We are pleased to see such broad interest from leading institutional investors who share our view on the market. We are grateful for their support and for the support from visionary investors who helped us build the company to this point. A strong team of passionate Astrocast employees is looking forward to continuing building our global communication service, connecting IoT devices all around the globe,” said Fabien Jordan. The cornerstone investors are a syndicate led by US-based Adit Ventures. Other leading investors in the placement included Palantir, the leading builder of operating systems for the modern enterprise; the Swiss-based private equity firm DAA Capital Partners (DAA), which specializes in early-growth technology companies; and the Seed and early-stage venture capital fund Primo Space Fund, which focuses on space tech opportunities. Among the existing owners of Astrocast are Airbus Ventures, Verve and DAA, and several Swiss family offices. None of these offered shares for sale in connection with the fundraising. Bryan, Garnier & Co was appointed Sole Bookrunner and Euronext Growth Adviser in connection with the fundraise and listing. Advokatfirmaet Selmer AS and CPV Partners are acting as legal advisors to the company, while First House has been engaged as a communication advisor. Norne Securities AS was the settlement agent. Astrocast was a Venture Leader China in 2017, a Venture Leader Mobile in 2020, and one of the TOP 100 Swiss Startups in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, the Lausanne-based company was among the 25 most promising scale-ups in Switzerland.