Funding news · Sep 14, 2026
Open Cosmos raises €300M Series C+ led by Lightrock
Open Cosmos Raises €300M in Series C+ Funding
Open Cosmos, the UK-based space technology company, has raised €300 million in a Series C+ round led by Lightrock. The funding was announced on September 14, 2026.
What Open Cosmos Does
Open Cosmos designs, builds and operates satellites, and delivers satellite services for governments, space agencies, and large energy and infrastructure customers. Founded in 2015 and headquartered at Harwell Campus in the United Kingdom, the company manufactures across four European factories located in the UK, Spain, Portugal and Greece.
The business is organized around four distinct lines:
- OpenOrbit — satellite design and manufacturing
- OpenConstellation — shared satellite infrastructure
- ConnectedCosmos — sovereign broadband and IoT connectivity
- DataCosmos — turning Earth observation data into real-time operational intelligence
According to the company, it has reported five consecutive years of profitable growth.
The Round
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Round type | Series C+ |
| Amount | €300,000,000 |
| Currency | EUR |
| Date | September 14, 2026 |
| Lead investor | Lightrock |
Investor Syndicate
The Series C+ round includes participation from a broad group of investors alongside lead investor Lightrock:
- Entrepreneurs First
- Trill Impact
- ETF Partners
- Santander Alternative Investments
- Institut Català de Finances (ICF)
- A&G
- National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF)
- British Columbia Investment Management Corporation
- Claret Capital Partners
- Phoenix Court
- Convex Group
Why It Matters
The size and composition of the round point to continued institutional appetite for vertically integrated space platforms. Open Cosmos combines manufacturing capacity across four European countries with service lines that span satellite hardware, shared constellation infrastructure, connectivity, and data intelligence — a stack that touches both public-sector and commercial customers.
The presence of investors such as the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation alongside impact-oriented funds like Lightrock and Trill Impact reflects a mixed investor base spanning strategic, institutional and sustainability-focused capital.
Acquisition Angle
For acquirers and strategic partners, Open Cosmos represents a rare combination: in-house satellite design and manufacturing (OpenOrbit), shared infrastructure (OpenConstellation), sovereign connectivity (ConnectedCosmos), and downstream data analytics (DataCosmos). That vertical integration — from build to bits — is difficult to replicate organically and could be attractive to larger aerospace primes, defense-adjacent technology platforms, or connectivity operators looking to add sovereign space capability.
The company's multi-country European manufacturing footprint (UK, Spain, Portugal, Greece) may also carry strategic value for buyers seeking geographically diversified production capacity within Europe.
Summary
- Company: Open Cosmos
- Headquarters: Harwell Campus, United Kingdom
- Founded: 2015
- Round: Series C+
- Amount: €300 million
- Lead investor: Lightrock
- Date: September 14, 2026
- Business lines: OpenOrbit, OpenConstellation, ConnectedCosmos, DataCosmos
- Manufacturing: Four European factories (UK, Spain, Portugal, Greece)