AIRMO Secures €5M to Launch Methane-Tracking Satellites by 2027
▼ Summary
– AIRMO, a climate-tech startup, has raised €5 million in seed funding to launch its first methane-monitoring satellite in 2027 and expand its airborne operations.
– Its core technology is a miniaturized sensor combining a SWIR spectrometer and a micro-LiDAR, which it claims doubles the accuracy of existing satellite systems for detecting methane.
– The sensor can detect extremely small methane leaks, such as from a single vehicle, from an orbit of 500 kilometers.
– The planned satellite is the first of a 12-satellite constellation intended to provide data to energy operators, financial institutions, and regulators.
– The funding and technology address a critical need, as methane is a major contributor to global warming and faces increasing regulatory pressure for accurate reporting.
A Berlin-based climate technology company has secured significant funding to advance its ambitious plan for a satellite constellation dedicated to tracking methane emissions with unprecedented precision. AIRMO has closed a €5 million seed funding round to support the launch of its first dedicated satellite in early 2027, a key step toward building a full network of twelve spacecraft. The startup’s unique sensor technology, miniaturized for small satellites, promises to detect methane leaks from individual sources as small as a car from orbit, addressing a critical gap in global emissions monitoring.
The investment was spearheaded by Munich-based impact investor Ananda Impact Ventures. They were joined by several new financial backers, including Unconventional Ventures, kopa ventures, Desai Ventures, and Hypernova. Notably, two partners from the global investment firm EQT, Matthias Fackler and Francesco Starace, participated as individual strategic investors. Existing supporters such as Antler, Findus Ventures, E2MC, and Pi Labs also contributed to the round.
At the heart of AIRMO’s approach is a proprietary sensor payload that merges two technologies. It combines a short-wave infrared spectrometer with a custom-built micro-LiDAR system. This integration is a technical breakthrough, representing the first time a sensor of this capability has been shrunk down to fit on a nanosatellite. The LiDAR component is crucial because it corrects for atmospheric interference, like aerosols and wind, that typically reduces the accuracy of spectral imaging alone. The company states this dual-system approach doubles the accuracy of current satellite-based monitoring, enabling the detection of very small, specific methane plumes from an altitude of 500 kilometers.
The inaugural satellite is being developed in collaboration with Bulgarian space hardware company EnduroSat. It will utilize EnduroSat’s ESPA-class satellite platform, with a launch targeted for the beginning of 2027. This initial satellite will form the cornerstone of a planned twelve-satellite constellation. Once operational, the system will provide commercial data services to a range of clients, including oil and gas companies, financial institutions, government regulators, and environmental non-governmental organizations.
Founded in 2022 by rocket scientist and serial entrepreneur Daria Stepanova, AIRMO boasts a seasoned technical team. Its leadership includes a Chief Technology Officer with fifteen years of experience in space optics and a Senior Space Optics Engineer who spent twenty-eight years working on optoelectronics and LiDAR systems for the European Space Agency. The company has also received backing from ESA through its InCubed programme, which previously contributed a €3.7 million contract as part of an earlier funding round.
The drive for such precise monitoring technology is underscored by the urgent climate challenge posed by methane. This potent greenhouse gas is responsible for an estimated thirty percent of current global warming, yet emissions at the facility level are often poorly measured and reported. Growing regulatory pressure, such as the European Union’s Methane Regulation and the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 framework, is creating strong demand for more accurate, site-level data that existing methods struggle to supply.
AIRMO’s technology is not waiting for satellites to prove its value; it is already in commercial use. The system is deployed on drones and aircraft, with energy firms like Uniper and Total listed as customers who use it for monitoring their infrastructure. The new seed funding will allow the company to scale these existing airborne operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. It will also support establishing a stronger local presence in the MENA region, where AIRMO already maintains an office in Abu Dhabi.
CEO Daria Stepanova framed the investment as the catalyst to move from technology validation to offering continuous monitoring services. She described the satellite launch as a pivotal move toward the long-term vision of monitoring millions of energy assets worldwide. Alina Bassi, a Principal at lead investor Ananda Impact Ventures, emphasized that cutting methane leaks is one of the most effective short-term actions for decarbonizing the energy sector and expressed continued confidence in AIRMO’s team and mission.
(Source: The Next Web)
