3D printing company SWISSto12 announces completion of Series B financing

3D printing company SWISSto12 has announced the completion of a Series B funding round, raising CHF 18.1 million ($18.5 million) to fund the industrialization and commercial deployment of the company’s antenna products for communication satellites. SWISSto12 also plans to expand its business by developing advanced communication payloads for the small satellite market and exploring ground communication opportunities such as 5G. The funds will be used to expand recently opened offices in the United States and Israel.

Additive manufacturing offers a unique approach to developing next-generation payloads for communication satellites. SWISSto12’s capabilities offer satellite operators the advantages of high-performance, lightweight and customizable products, thus opening up more opportunities for payload engineering.

Additive manufacturing technology is currently bringing new design and manufacturing possibilities - from antenna systems to complete payloads - SWISSto12 is developing high-performance 3D printed antennas for small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).

“With this financing, our highly reliable 3D printed communication products will be further developed. We are very proud to put our first products into space this year and look forward to further developing our journey with our customers to enable increasingly affordable and flexible satellite communication services.” said Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12.

The Series B round was led by Swisscanto Invest, a unit of Zürcher Kantonalbank and Swisscom Ventures, with returning investor Constantia New Business (CNB).

“With its innovative 3D printing technology, SWISSto12 is leading the way in next-generation microwave components such as waveguides, antennas and filters, providing the aerospace industry with unmatched performance, weight and size solutions. As the satellite industry transforms, many low-Earth constellation programs are underway and we believe SWISSto12 will play an important role in this development,” said Pär Lange, investment partner at Swisscom Ventures.

SWISSto12 recently provided a Ka-band antenna feed chain for the NSLSat-1 nanosatellite, which was launched on July 5, 2019. NSLSat-1 is billed as the first expendable high-throughput nanosatellite developed for Israeli startup NSLComm, with its payload including an aluminum 3D printed RF system provided by SWISSto12.

SWISSto12 also serves more traditional companies in the space industry, including Airbus Defence and Space, Thales Alenia Space, Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions and the European Space Agency.