European Startup Nxgsat Secures €1.2M to Revolutionize Satellite Connectivity with Virtual 5G Modem Platform

Breaking Down Traditional Satellite Barriers

Belgian startup Nxgsat has successfully raised €1.2 million ($1.4 million) in seed funding to develop what could become a game-changing virtual 5G modem for satellite communications. The funding, announced October 21, positions the company to challenge the longstanding proprietary systems that have dominated satellite networking by creating a hardware-agnostic solution compatible across multiple orbits and traditionally closed infrastructure systems.

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The Vision Behind the Technology

Led by satellite industry veterans Frederik Simoens and Alain Rolle, both former executives at ST Engineering iDirect, Nxgsat is approaching the satellite modem market with a fresh perspective. “We’re not constrained by legacy products or the innovator’s dilemma that holds back incumbent players,” Simoens explained, highlighting the advantage of building from scratch rather than adapting existing technology.

The company‘s vision centers on creating a modem that operates on the 5G New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks (NR NTN) standard, using the same 3GPP specifications employed by terrestrial telecom operators. This strategic alignment with existing 5G infrastructure could significantly reduce integration barriers and accelerate adoption across both satellite and terrestrial networks.

Solving the Connectivity Lock-In Problem

Current satellite communications systems present what Alain Rolle describes as an outdated model: “Imagine that your smartphone would only connect to a single mobile network — that’s the current reality of satellite communications.” This limitation stems from proprietary modems that restrict users to a single operator’s network, creating vendor lock-in and limiting flexibility., as our earlier report, according to industry analysis

Nxgsat’s solution aims to dismantle these barriers by:, according to according to reports

• Developing hardware-agnostic software that runs on commercial off-the-shelf equipment
• Enabling direct integration with modern flat-panel antennas
• Creating multi-orbit compatibility across different satellite systems
• Leveraging the existing 5G technology ecosystem to avoid reinventing core components

Strategic Market Positioning and Timeline

The seed funding round was led by European investment firms PMV and Imec.istart Future Fund, with the capital earmarked for product development and team expansion ahead of a planned commercial release in Q2 2026. This extended timeline reflects the complexity of developing standards-compliant technology that must operate reliably across diverse satellite networks.

As a European company, Nxgsat is strategically positioned to participate in Europe’s proposed IRIS² multi-orbit sovereign broadband constellation. This alignment with European sovereignty initiatives could provide both funding opportunities and a ready market for their technology once developed.

Industry Implications and Future Potential

The move toward virtualized, standards-based modems represents a significant shift in satellite communications architecture. By building directly on the 5G stack, Nxgsat aims to tap into what Simoens describes as “a rich ecosystem of existing technologies” that could accelerate innovation and reduce costs for hybrid network deployments.

This approach could ultimately transform how enterprises and governments deploy satellite connectivity, making it easier to switch between providers and reducing the complexity of managing multi-vendor satellite networks. The technology’s potential to enable seamless movement between different satellite and terrestrial providers addresses a critical pain point in today’s increasingly connected world.

With their combination of industry experience and freedom from legacy constraints, the Nxgsat team appears well-positioned to challenge the status quo in satellite communications. Their success could mark a turning point toward more open, interoperable satellite networks that better integrate with terrestrial 5G infrastructure.

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