Bremen spacetech startup Marble Imaging closes €11.3M seed -- backed by ESA, DLR, and Cherry Ventures -- and launches its first sub-metre Earth observation satellite on SpaceX in February 2027.
SOVEREIGN SPACETECH
Marble Imaging closes €11.3M seed ahead of February satellite launch
On 9 November, Bremen-based Marble Imaging closed the second tranche of its seed round at €6 million, led by Cherry Ventures. Total seed equity raised: €11.3 million. The company has also secured over €10 million in non-dilutive funding from DLR and ESA.
Founded in 2022, Marble is building a commercial Earth observation constellation. Its first satellite, Marble Sat-1, built by Reflex Aerospace, ships to California in December and launches on SpaceX in February 2027. Following a six-month in-orbit demonstration, the company plans to reach 30 satellites by 2030, imaging at below-one-metre resolution across visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared bands.
WHY IT MATTERS
The ESA and DLR non-dilutive path for European spacetech founders
Marble's funding structure illustrates a route most hardware founders underuse. Over €10 million from DLR and ESA came before the equity close, funding the hardware development that attracted venture backing. ESA Business Applications and the DLR technology transfer programme run open calls for Earth observation and satellite communication ventures year-round. Non-dilutive agency capital does not require a consortium partner and is stackable with equity.
Marble's traction at seed: a contract pipeline above €20 million, more than 10 paying customers, and revenue already in the several-million-euro range -- before its first satellite has launched.
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