SWISSto12 and UNIVITY work together to build sovereign 5G infrastructure in space

Swiss SpaceTech startup SWISSto12 and French startup UNIVITY are advancing Europe’s ambitions for sovereign satellite communications after successfully completing a Critical Design Review (CDR) for two active antenna systems designed to deliver 5G connectivity from space.

The milestone brings the companies closer to demonstrating broadband and direct-to-device connectivity through a single satellite architecture, combining European satellite manufacturing expertise with a homegrown approach to space-based telecommunications infrastructure.

The collaboration brings together two startups that have attracted significant investment in 2026.

Switzerland-based SWISSto12 secured €73 million in January from European Space Agency member states for its HummingSat programme, and then closed a €61 million Series C in July. While Paris-based UNIVITY raised €27 million in April from Blast, Expansion, the Deeptech 2030 fund managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French State, and two family offices.

Emile de Rijk, CEO and founder of SWISSto12, says: “UNIVITY set us an ambitious schedule; reaching Critical Design Review in less than one year was possible due to SWISSto12’s proprietary and differentiated payload and antenna technology and a vertically integrated delivery model. It’s a significant milestone for the program and the start of the next phase as we move into hardware production and an extensive verification and acceptance campaign.”

Founded in 2011 by Emile de Rijk as a spin-off from his doctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), SWISSto12 specialises in satellite payloads, antenna systems and compact geostationary satellites, using proprietary manufacturing technologies including 3D printing. UNIVITY, founded in 2022 by Charles Delfieux and previously known as Constellation Technologies & Operations, is developing a Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellite constellation designed to enable telecom operators to extend their existing 5G services into space.

At the centre of their collaboration are two active phased-array antennas being developed by SWISSto12 for UNIVITY’s 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) demonstration satellites. The first, an S-band direct radiating array, is designed to connect standard 5G smartphones directly to satellites. The second, a Ka-band antenna operating at 26 GHz, will support broadband services and feeder links connecting satellites with terrestrial infrastructure.

By integrating both capabilities into a single satellite, UNIVITY aims to enable telecom operators to provide broadband and direct-to-device services under their own brands, complementing existing terrestrial networks rather than replacing them.

The development forms part of UNIVITY’s uniShape programme, supported by France 2030 and the French Space Agency (CNES). The programme aims to demonstrate high-throughput, low-latency 5G connectivity using VLEO satellites, with the longer-term objective of developing a shared, neutral space infrastructure that enables European and international telecom operators to maintain greater control over their connectivity services.

For SWISSto12, the partnership puts its HummingLink antenna and payload technologies to work on a European connectivity project. The company manufactures passive radiating antenna components through 3D printing, integrating miniaturised, low-loss filters with beamforming electronics and digital controls. Design and manufacturing are carried out at its Swiss facilities, providing a vertically integrated process from technical specifications through to finished hardware.

Completing the Critical Design Review means the antenna designs can now progress towards hardware production, verification and acceptance testing. While the milestone does not yet demonstrate operational connectivity in orbit, it represents a step towards validating a satellite architecture capable of supporting two different 5G services simultaneously.

Charles Delfieux, Chief Executive Officer of UNIVITY, adds: “Active antennas are central to our 5G payload architecture: they will enable a single satellite to deliver both broadband and direct-to-device connectivity. This dual capability is essential to our ambition of providing telecom operators with a shared space-based infrastructure that complements their terrestrial networks. By reaching this milestone in less than a year, SWISSto12 has demonstrated its ability to support our ambitious roadmap for the uniShape program.”

Their collaboration comes amid broader investment activity across Europe’s SpaceTech sector. In October 2026, EU-Startups highlighted financing announcements exceeding €1.3 billion across a selected group of European companies, including €450 million in primary financing for Finland’s ICEYE and €387 million for Germany’s The Exploration Company.

Investment has also reached smaller startups developing technologies essential to future space operations. Switzerland’s Stellar Alpina raised €3.8 million to develop propulsion systems for in-space mobility, while France’s ArcSpace secured more than €2 million to advance technologies for satellite servicing and repair.

Against this backdrop, the SWISSto12–UNIVITY collaboration illustrates how European startups can combine specialised technologies to develop more independent space infrastructure. Rather than relying on a single company to manufacture satellites, develop payloads and operate connectivity services, their partnership brings together complementary capabilities across borders.

Their progress could help establish whether Europe can turn its growing investment in SpaceTech into infrastructure that provides greater technological and commercial autonomy.

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