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§ Private Profile · Freiburg, Germany
Satellite data for thermal intelligence, optimizing agriculture, urban planning, and climate operations for water productivity & food security.
Based in Munich, Germany, constellr operates a proprietary satellite constellation that measures land surface temperatures from space to provide thermal intelligence for agriculture, defense, and climate operations. The company employs between 51 and 100 people and utilizes its commercial satellite data subscriptions to optimize agricultural water usage, enhance food supply chain resilience, and support urban planning initiatives across 14 global regions. Recognized as one of the World Economic Forum's 100 Tech Pioneers, the firm has successfully established itself as a primary thermal data provider for the European Union. Following an initial €1 million pre-seed financing round in 2021, the enterprise launched its first satellite in January 2025 and subsequently closed a €37 million Series A funding round in February 2026. constellr was founded in April 2020 by Max Gulde, Marius Bierdel, and Daniel Spengler.
constellr has raised $4.4B across 4 funding rounds.
constellr has raised $4.4B in total across 4 funding rounds.
constellr has raised $4.4B in total across 4 funding rounds.
constellr's investors include Alpine Space Ventures, Lakestar, Bayern Kapital, Cardumen Capital, Cooperative Ventures, CosmiCapital, EIC Fund, FTTF, Kineo Finance, Semapa Next, Vsquared Ventures, Karista.
constellr has raised $4.4B across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $4.4B Series A in February 2026.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 10, 2026 | $4.4B Series A | Alpine Space Ventures, Lakestar | Bayern Kapital, Cardumen Capital, Cooperative Ventures, CosmiCapital, EIC Fund, FTTF, Kineo Finance, Semapa Next, Vsquared Ventures | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2023 | $19M Seed | Karista | Amadeus Capital Partners, Converge Venture Partners, HV Capital, Vsquared Ventures, XAnge, Axel Toupane, Einstein Industries Ventures | Announced |
| Nov 3, 2022 | $10M Seed | Steven Jacobs, Herbert Mangesius | Amathaon Capital, FTTF, IN Q TEL, Natural Ventures, Next Humanity, OHB Venture Capital, Seraphim Capital | Announced |
| Feb 23, 2021 | $1.2M Pre Seed | Tobias Schwind | L Bank, OHB Venture Capital | Announced |
Constellr is a German NewSpace startup founded in 2020 that builds a constellation of microsatellites equipped with thermal infrared sensors to deliver daily, global land surface temperature data.[1][2][3][6] It primarily serves farmers, precision agriculture firms, governments, and supply chain stakeholders by providing high-precision thermal intelligence to detect crop health changes days to weeks early, optimize water and fertilizer use, reduce yield uncertainty, and enhance food security.[1][2][3] The company has achieved rapid growth, launching its first satellite (Skybee-1) in January 2025 with "first light" data including Tokyo's thermal signature, followed by a second satellite in June 2025, while operating in five regions and securing recognition as a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer and Europe's de-facto thermal data provider for the EU.[2] From three founders to over 25 employees, Constellr leverages expertise from space leaders like OHB and Planet to scale toward a full 30-CubeSat constellation.[1][3]
Constellr was founded in 2020 in Freiburg, Germany, by a team including CEO Dr. Max Gulde and CTO Marius Bierdel, drawing on over 20 years of combined experience from industry giants such as OHB, Planet, MunichRe, Honeywell, and Ernst & Young.[1][3] The idea emerged from advancing miniaturized thermal infrared payloads—like the patent-pending LisR (Longwave Infrared Sensing demonstratoR) with free-form optics—to make high-revisit, cost-effective land monitoring viable via small CubeSats, addressing gaps in traditional large satellites.[1][3] Early traction included a €1M pre-seed round in 2021 led by Fraunhofer’s Technology Transfer Fund (FTTF), with OHB Venture Capital and L-Bank, positioning the first demonstrator for 2021 orbit and earning finalist status at the Europas Awards.[3] Pivotal moments include the 2023 precursor launch plans evolving into 2025's operational satellites, marking a shift from prototype to commercial service.[1][2]
Constellr rides the NewSpace revolution in miniaturized satellites and climate tech, capitalizing on surging demand for real-time Earth observation amid climate change, food insecurity, and water scarcity.[1][2][5] Timing is ideal post-2025 launches, aligning with EU sovereignty pushes for independent thermal data and global precision ag growth (projected to hit billions), where thermal intel outperforms visible-spectrum rivals in early stress detection.[2][3] Market forces like fertilizer/water cost pressures, supply chain volatility, and institutional satellite limitations favor its high-cadence, affordable model, influencing ecosystems by feeding data to ag platforms, insurers (e.g., MunichRe heritage), and policymakers for resilient farming.[1][3][5] As a WEF-recognized pioneer, it accelerates thermal data adoption across climate adaptation, air/water quality monitoring, and urban planning.[2][5]
Constellr is poised to dominate thermal intelligence with its expanding constellation, targeting full deployment for planetary field monitoring and new verticals like urban heat and disaster response. Trends like AI-driven ag analytics, sovereign space data mandates, and net-zero supply chains will propel growth, potentially evolving it into a platform provider with API integrations. Its influence could reshape global agri-food transparency, much like how Planet pioneered optical monitoring—scaling from crop savior to essential climate infrastructure.[1][2][3]