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EPFL spin-off SWISSto12 raises CHF 18.1 million

The EPFL spin-off SWISSto12, which specializes in antennae for satellite communication, has raised CHF 18.1 million, enabling it to accelerate the commercialization of its 3D printed waveguides.

SWISSto12
SWISSto12 develops 3D printed antennae for satellite communication. | © NicoElNino

The EPFL spin-off SWISSto12, a supplier of telecommunications components for the satellite and aerospace industries, announced the closing of a CHF 18.1 million round of financing. The company's first devices have already been in orbit for several months and this investment by Swisscanto Invest, Swisscom Ventures, and CNB will accelerate their industrialization and commercialization processes.

"In a very short time, we have succeeded in winning over satellite and aerospace specialists," says CEO Emile de Rijk, "large companies such as Airbus Defense and Space, Thales Alenia Space, Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions and the European Space Agency have placed their trust in us (...) with this investment, we will be able to move to the next level”, he adds. The company also plans to expand into the manufacturing of antennae as a whole, including the waveguide and transmitter. Based in the Renens in the canton of Vaud, the company has recently opened offices in the United States and Israel.

Ten times lighter antennae

The ever-increasing transfer of data (TV, phones, surveillance, GPS, Internet) requires an increased speed for satellite communications and therefore the expansion of the wave frequencies used. The devices developed by SWISSto12 are printed in three dimensions and covered with a metal coating using a patented process. These antennae have a significant advantage in a field where each additional gram is monetized : they are ten times lighter than their counterparts made up of an assembly of metal parts.

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