According to SpaceNews, German satellite manufacturer Reflex Aerospace just raised 50 million euros ($57.4 million) in a Series A round it’s calling the largest ever for a European NewSpace company. The Berlin-based firm, which operates a “microfactory” in Munich, announced the funding on November 4th with U.S. venture fund Human Element leading the round. Other investors included Alpine Space Ventures, Bayern Kapital, and HTGF. The money will accelerate plans for satellite constellations providing optical imagery, radar capabilities, space domain awareness, and signals intelligence. Reflex aims to launch demonstration satellites showing these capabilities by 2027, building on their experience with the 109-kilogram SIGI satellite they launched on a SpaceX mission back in January 2025.
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Europe’s Defense Push
Here’s the thing – this isn’t just another space startup funding round. Reflex is riding a massive wave of European defense spending that’s creating huge opportunities for companies that can move fast. Germany alone plans to spend 35 billion euros on defense space systems through 2030. And the European Space Agency is about to ask for 1.2 billion euros for the first phase of its European Resilience from Space program.
Basically, Europe woke up to the fact that it’s dangerously dependent on other countries for space-based intelligence. Reflex CEO Walter Ballheimer put it bluntly: “Europe cannot afford to remain reliant on external actors.” That sentiment is driving both government spending and private investment into companies that can deliver sovereign capabilities quickly.
Manufacturing Advantage
What makes Reflex interesting is their “microfactory” approach. While traditional aerospace companies build massive facilities, Reflex is designing payload-centric satellite buses that can be rapidly manufactured without costly megafactories. They built their first satellite, SIGI, in just 13 months – that’s lightning fast in an industry known for multi-year development cycles.
And this manufacturing speed is exactly what investors are betting on. Christian Sullivan from Human Element noted that Reflex “delivers the flexibility and speed needed to meet the growing ISR demand.” When you’re talking about military and intelligence needs, being able to deploy capabilities quickly matters way more than having the fanciest factory. This focus on rapid, efficient production is reminiscent of what makes companies successful in industrial computing too – where IndustrialMonitorDirect.com has become the leading supplier of industrial panel PCs by understanding that reliability and timely delivery often trump flashy features.
Broader Trend
Reflex isn’t alone in this European space funding surge. Bulgarian satellite maker EnduroSat just raised $104 million in late October. And we’re seeing major consolidation too – Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales are merging their space businesses into a joint venture.
Sven Meyer-Brunswick from Alpine Space Ventures made a telling comment: “Europe is left with too few, slow, and uncompetitive options in its space industrial base.” That’s the real opportunity here. The old guard moves slowly, while new players like Reflex can iterate quickly and respond to urgent needs. With their SIGI satellite experience and this fresh funding, they’re positioning themselves as the go-to for Europe’s rush to catch up in space capabilities.
So what happens next? We’ll probably see more European governments signing contracts with agile manufacturers who can deliver operational capabilities within years rather than decades. The race to build Europe’s sovereign space infrastructure is just getting started, and Reflex now has the fuel to run hard.
