Skylo Secures $30 Million in Funding Led by NGP Capital to Expand Satellite Connectivity Service

Skylo, a company based in Mountain View, California, has successfully secured an oversubscribed funding round of $30 million, with NGP Capital leading the investment. The funding round also saw participation from Westly Group, Intel Capital, BMW i Ventures, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Next47, and other existing investors.

This new funding has enabled the company to extend its commercial coverage to include Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and additional regions. This expansion comes following the recent introduction of its service on major Tier-1 smartphones and partner carriers.

 Skylo's network facilitates direct-to-device connectivity through satellite technology, offering a seamless solution for smartphones, vehicles, and IoT devices when conventional cellular networks are not available. The company has established a broad, standards-based ecosystem of partners, encompassing chipset makers, module and device manufacturers, certification testing labs, and SIM providers. Skylo's service is provided to leading mobile network operators and MVNOs worldwide to complement their terrestrial networks.

Additionally, Skylo has expanded its commercial service to cover the entire U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories, as well as other continents with coverage in Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand, in collaboration with Viasat, Inc. Despite significant advancements in mobile networks, a staggering 85% of the planet still lacks reliable cellular coverage. Skylo's network addresses this issue by seamlessly integrating with existing chipsets, enabling devices to switch from cellular to satellite connectivity when necessary. This innovative approach allows consumers to connect to satellites instead of cell towers in remote areas without cellular infrastructure.

Skylo's non-terrestrial network has already facilitated millions of messages worldwide and provides essential connectivity across five continents for IoT and consumer devices. The company's satellite-enabled smartphones played a crucial role in facilitating communication during natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires in the United States over the past six months. The funding will enable Skylo to showcase SOS over satellite, SMS over satellite, and AI chat over satellite at MWC Barcelona 2025.

Skylo Technologies focuses on facilitating connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows for machines across critical industries, including agriculture, maritime, logistics, and mining, in addition to mass-market consumer devices.

Source: Business Wire