One of the largest private satellite constellations made in Italy today consists of the picosatellites by Apogeo Space.

The Italian company Apogeo Space, founded in Brescia, has launched twenty antennas into orbit for the Internet of Things (IoT). This innovative approach has allowed the company to carve out a niche in the market through miniaturization, low-cost devices, and modular design. New services and investment rounds are already in the pipeline, and Apogeo has also started offering third party manufacturing.

BY EMILIO COZZI

Apogeo Space, a small-medium enterprise with around twenty employees, is the Italian company
that has launched the most satellites in the past twelve months. Its impressive growth is
emblematic of a changing space landscape, both in scale and approach.
Apogeo is building a vast satellite constellation dedicated to IoT—essentially a swarm of satellites
that connect devices for clients worldwide. This project marks a new chapter in Italy’s space
industry.

A Niche with High Demand: Satellite Connectivity Everywhere

Apogeo’s satellite constellation is remarkable not just for its scale—expected to grow to about
one hundred satellites by 2027 to cover any location on Earth—but also for targeting a well
defined yet vast and growing niche. Today, sensors are ubiquitous across sectors: researchers
use them to monitor glacier temperatures and movements, infrastructure managers rely on them
to track bridges and pipelines, ecologists study animal migration, and logistics providers seek
real-time data on shipments and fleets.

Data from these devices are part of the essential information that powers the economy, traveling
alongside the streaming content and social media updates of the digital world. But for isolated
mines, solar farms, wind parks, or remote ships, real-time data can be unreachable without a
network to bridge the gap. Apogeo Space is building that bridge, and now it’s also offering this
capability to others.

Picosatellites: Compact Antennas for Global Coverage

The concept of satellite internet isn’t new; it has existed for decades and has rapidly evolved in
recent years. However, Apogeo Space is pioneering satellite IoT through a constellation of
picosatellites. For those unfamiliar, picosatellites are satellites weighing between 100 grams and a
kilogram and can fit in the palm of your hand. Apogeo Space recently announced plans to
produce these compact satellites for third parties.

Apogeo has already launched twenty of its own IoT satellites, with eighteen launched within the
last year. On August 16, its satellites took off aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9, through the
Transporter-11 rideshare mission that enables smaller satellite operators to share launch costs.
Out of the nine picosatellites deployed, eight are operational, creating Italy’s largest constellation
of its kind, second only to D-Orbit’s more than ten. SpaceX’s rideshare offers competitive pricing
for smaller companies: at $6,000 per kilogram, it’s the most affordable option on the market, even
with added costs for deployment mechanisms.

A Modular and Cost-Effective Space Strategy

The low production costs enabled by miniaturization (solar panels, antennas, sensors) and the
accessibility of regular rideshare launches are key to Apogeo’s success. The company recently
secured a launch agreement with Innospace, a South Korean company specializing in lightweight
rockets. Apogeo also collaborates with D-Orbit, a globally recognized Italian company specializing
in satellite deployment solutions, and has recently utilized carrier systems from the Dutch firm
ISISpace.

Apogeo’s founder, Guido Parissenti, has skillfully leveraged the modular nature of today’s space
industry, which allows companies to adapt, upgrade, and scale systems as needed. Their satellite
units, designed as cubes, can be assembled like building blocks, allowing the constellation to
expand and be updated with minimal operational disruptions as older satellites reach the end of
their shorter lifespan.

In 2022, Apogeo Space completed a funding round with investment from the Italian venture
capital fund Primo Space. The company collaborates with the European Space Agency (ESA),
NASA, the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and several Italian research institutions and universities. By
the end of the year, Apogeo plans to launch new services and announce another investment
round. It’s worth keeping an eye on their upcoming developments.