Optera funding fuels UK hub for space domain awareness

Above: Jonathon Wolfe, CEO, Optera.
Courtesy Optera

The round was led by UKI2S (managed by Future Planet Capital), with participation from Blackfinch Ventures, Foresight Group, the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) and Empirical Ventures.

Optera’s event-based sensors and AI analytics work like the human eye – capturing only changes in a scene – so operators can track and characterise fast-moving objects using far less data and power than traditional frame-based cameras. 

This enables persistent, lower-cost operations on the ground and in orbit in challenging lighting conditions. The company has multiple years of on-orbit heritage with payloads operating today and is now expanding its UK delivery team across civil and space programmes. 

The decision to scale in the UK is driven by the nation’s thriving space and dual-use tech and investment ecosystem, strong customer demand for SDA, access to world-class talent and universities, and the availability of mission-driven capital aligned to national security and growth.

Alexander Leigh, Investment Director at UKI2S (managed by Future Planet Capital) commented on leading the raise: “Optera is a step-change for space safety and national security – delivering richer insight with a fraction of the data and power. It exemplifies how dual-use deep-tech can deliver both operational advantage and economic growth.

“The Defence Industrial Strategy makes clear that frontier sectors such as space, AI and autonomous systems are critical for the UK’s sovereign advantage and a driver of high-value jobs. Optera shows how research excellence can translate into deployable capabilities, export potential, and resilience across our defence and space ecosystem.

“Leading this round reflects our Defence and Security (D2S) focus area – backing Optera’s UK build-out, its expansion of skilled engineering roles and its contribution to the UK’s ambition to be a defence industrial leader by 2035. 

“Optera’s decision to relocate from Australia underlines the UK’s pull as the place for dual-use innovators to scale and sets a clear signal for others to do the same.”

Jonathon Wolfe (above), CEO, Optera said: “Our sensors ‘see’ like the human eye – reacting to change rather than capturing empty frames – so operators can track fast objects with higher confidence and at lower cost. This breakthrough gives our customers the edge they need in an increasingly complex space environment.

“The UK is where we want to grow: it’s an outstanding environment for space innovation, with world-class customers, partners, universities and talent and we want to hear from them as we grow. We are grateful to have the backing of UKI2S (managed by Future Planet Capital), Blackfinch Ventures, Foresight Group, the National Security Strategic Investment Fund and Empirical Ventures – investors who share our vision for scaling dual-use capabilities that matter for both national security and global markets.

“This funding enables us to expand our UK engineering team, deliver key SDA and dual-use sensing programmes, and accelerate on-orbit processing so more intelligence can be generated at the edge. With this support, Optera is ready to build a sovereign capability here in the UK that strengthens national security and defence and creates high-value jobs in the process.” 

Rubina Singh, Senior Investment Manager at Foresight Group said: "Optera is translating cutting-edge neuromorphic sensing into real operational advantage for both national security and the wider global space markets. Its approach delivers a genuine step-change – dramatically lowering data and power requirements while enhancing resilience and opening the door to wider deployment across civil, commercial and mission-critical environments.

"Their relocation underscores the UK’s position as a place where frontier technology companies can scale. We’re excited to support the team building sovereign, world-leading sensing capability combining deep technical differentiation with growing commercial momentum."

Kimberley Hay, Venture Director at Blackfinch Ventures said: “Optera represents exactly the kind of deep-tech innovation we look to support at Blackfinch Ventures – technologies with clear commercial potential that also strengthen critical capabilities in emerging sectors. We’re excited to back a team translating cutting-edge sensing research into real-world impact for the UK space ecosystem.”

Ed Phillips Investment Partner from NSSIF commented: “Optera’s neuromorphic technology offers users a new depth of insight into orbital operations.  It addresses a growing market for space domain awareness and promises to materially enhance UK and its allies’ ability to protect critical national infrastructure in this increasingly congested and contested domain. Optera exemplifies the ambitious companies with deep technology advantage that NSSIF backs and we are thrilled to welcome them to the UK’s tech ecosystem.”

Dr Johnathan Matlock, General Partner Empirical Ventures, said: "Optera is redefining space domain awareness by replacing traditional, data-heavy imaging with asynchronous, neuromorphic sensing that characterises rather than just tracks orbital threats. By delivering ultra-low-latency data within a sovereign, Five Eyes-aligned supply chain, Optera are providing the high-temporal resolution and low-SWaP performance that modern defense mandates, backed by the world’s only flight-proven neuromorphic heritage in deep space."