EDGX raises €2.3M for AI edge computing in space
Belgian spacetech firm EDGX has successfully closed a €2.3 million seed funding round, accelerating its mission to bring advanced AI computing directly to satellites. This investment, co-led by imec.istart future fund and the Flanders Future Tech Fund (managed by PMV), positions EDGX at the forefront of the burgeoning space infrastructure sector, where the demand for faster, more autonomous data processing in orbit is rapidly escalating.
At the core of EDGX’s offering is Sterna, an onboard AI data processing unit (DPU) built on NVIDIA Jetson Orin hardware. This innovative system is designed to run complex machine learning models directly within satellites, marking a significant departure from the traditional “store-and-forward” architecture. Historically, satellites would collect vast quantities of raw data and then transmit it to Earth for processing, a method that often led to latency and bandwidth bottlenecks.
By enabling real-time data processing in orbit, Sterna drastically reduces the time lag and bandwidth requirements associated with transmitting raw data. This architectural shift also paves the way for autonomous decision-making in space, a capability critical for a range of high-impact applications including detailed earth observation, precise spectrum monitoring, and the development of next-generation space-based 5G/6G networks. The DPU operates on EDGX’s proprietary SpaceFeather software stack, which features a radiation-hardened Linux operating system, onboard health monitoring, fault detection and recovery mechanisms, and a flexible framework for deploying new capabilities even after launch.
The company has already demonstrated significant commercial traction, signing a €1.1 million deal with a satellite operator concurrently with the funding round. Furthermore, EDGX has confirmed its first in-orbit demonstration, scheduled aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in February 2026, with a total of two missions planned for that year. Nick Destrycker, founder and CEO of EDGX, emphasized the market’s readiness for such technology, stating, "Customers aren’t waiting for flight validation, they’re signing now. With a full launch manifest, secured commercial contracts, and our first mission set for Falcon 9, this funding will enable us to scale to meet demand for real-time intelligence from space.”
Wouter Benoot, EDGX co-founder and CTO, highlighted the ambition behind the venture, noting, “Going from zero to a hundred, all-in, on a space startup is ambitious. What makes it work is the team. Each engineer brings fresh ideas, a drive to understand space, and a passion to make it real. We’re building a subsystem that powers the next generation of satellites.”
The investment arrives as the global space industry grapples with a fundamental challenge: the exponential increase in data generated in orbit, which is increasingly constrained by outdated processing methodologies. Kris Vandenberk, managing partner at imec.istart future fund, underscored this point: “The space industry is hitting a fundamental bottleneck; we’re generating massive amounts of data in orbit but still using outdated ‘store and forward’ architectures. EDGX is solving this by bringing AI-powered edge computing directly into space.”
As geopolitical and technological competition intensifies in the space domain, Europe is strategically investing in homegrown solutions. EDGX’s funding round aligns with broader European Union initiatives aimed at bolstering the bloc’s capabilities in critical space infrastructure. Roald Borré, Head of Venture Capital at PMV, expressed confidence in EDGX’s unique market position, asserting, “This round of financing will enable us to support EDGX’s strong team in bringing promising Flemish technology to market and developing it further. EDGX is one of the few European players to offer a product that is high-performance, accessible and robust, giving it unique advantages in the fast-growing market for edge computing in space.”