Welcome to our X-Europe startup interview series. We have virtually sat down with a number of our founders from past cohorts to hear all about their solutions, vision for the future, and what made them tick during our X Europe programme. So whether you are a deep tech founder looking for startup support, an eagle-eyed investor, or simply interested in the possibilities that technology can bring to society, then we welcome you to take a read. Please meet Plus Ultra, a startup that deploys off-world infrastructure to realize humanity's future in space.
Can you briefly explain what your solution is all about? What’s unique about it?
We are working on the first lunar constellation for communications and navigation. Our Harmony constellation will be the only system to provide high-speed communications (100 Mbps) and high-accuracy navigation (< 20 m accuracy), on-demand, anywhere on the Moon.
What led you to start or join your company? What is the key motivation and mission behind the startup?
Since I finished my studies, I've wanted to support the development of the space economy and play a key role in our expansion into space. This is precisely the key goal of Plus Ultra: to become the backbone of the space economy. By the end of 2019, it was clear we were in the middle of a new lunar race, and that that the lunar businesses were about to take off. So we decided to take the risk and start work on Plus Ultra focused on lunar communications and navigation as a first step.
What’s the biggest milestone your startup has achieved so far, and what has surprised you most on this journey?
Our biggest milestone has definitely been our expansion into Luxembourg, thanks to the Fit 4 Start program. This was our first external financing and our first official recognition as a startup with true potential in space.
The most surprising aspect of our progress as a startup has been the attitude of investors. The startup and investor world looks much different from the outside than how it works from the inside.
How has X-Europe helped you during the past few months?
X-Europe has provided us a platform to make new connections to other startups in the space arena, as well as help us improve our credibility as a company thanks to being part of a recognized accelerator program.
What are your goals over the next 3, 6, and 12 months?
For the next 3 months: we want to raise our Seed funding round, grow our team to 16 people, and finalize the system design for our satellite constellation.
6 months: we will book our first launch and start manufacturing our satellite.
12 months: we will obtain our first customers for lunar communications and navigation
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