AALTO secures $100m Japanese investment to launch high-altitude station into the stratosphere

AALTO, a Farnborough firm which manufactures and operates the Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS), has secured a $100 million investment from a consortium of Japanese businesses and banks.

Flying for months at a time in the stratosphere, the solar-powered Zephyr station offers both mobile connectivity and earth observation services.

It can transform into a multi-functional tower in the sky to provide low latency 5G direct-to-device mobile data.

It also makes use of Airbus’s earth observation service, Strat-Observer, to fulfil a range of monitoring, tracking, sensing and detection applications – which could prove useful in Japan’s response to natural disasters.

The investment marks the beginning of a strategic alliance to commercialise connectivity and earth observation services using HAPS in Japan (where AALTO aims to launch in 2026) and across Asia.

Leading the consortium are NTT DOCOMO and Space Compass, together with Mizuho Bank Limited and the Development Bank of Japan Inc.

Airbus Defence and Space will remain AALTO’s majority shareholder. The investment is still subject to regulatory approvals.

Samer Halawi, CEO of AALTO, said: “This is a landmark investment for AALTO.

“It’s the natural next step in the roadmap of the company’s targeted entry-into-service in 2026, as we industrialise and commercialise our technology.

“With world leaders in aviation and connectivity as shareholders, AALTO now has the combination of technological expertise and global reach to capitalise on the growth opportunities in substantial total addressable markets across connectivity and earth observation.

“This investment comes as AALTO moves into its next phase of development.

“This includes launching several customer missions over the coming year, establishing launch and landing sites for Zephyr, and advancing our certification process.

“We’re excited to forge a new frontier in sustainable connectivity and earth observation from the stratosphere, while generating significant value for all our stakeholders.”

Shigehiro Hori, co-CEO of Space Compass Corporation, added: “Non-terrestrial networks have the potential to transform Japan’s communications ecosystem, addressing access to connectivity in hard-to-reach areas while supporting our country’s response to emergencies.

“Japan has many remote islands and mountainous areas, where there are uneconomic connectivity solutions.

“Our strategic relationship with AALTO, underpinned by technological innovation and the opportunity of the connectivity market, will help us build a new telecommunications infrastructure in these areas and during an era of population decline.”

• aaltohaps.com

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