SWISSto12 and UNIVITY Pass Design Review for Space-Based 5G Antennas

Swiss satellite maker SWISSto12 and French startup UNIVITY have completed a Critical Design Review for two active antenna systems intended to deliver 5G connectivity from space — in less than one year, on a schedule the CEOs themselves call ambitious.

The review covers two phased-array antennas SWISSto12 is building for UNIVITY's 5G non-terrestrial network demonstration satellites. The first, an S-band direct radiating array, is designed to connect standard 5G smartphones directly to satellites. The second, a Ka-band antenna operating at 26 GHz, will handle broadband services and feeder links between satellites and ground infrastructure.

The design freeze unlocks the next phase: hardware production, followed by what the companies describe as an extensive verification and acceptance campaign. What it does not do is demonstrate operational connectivity in orbit — that proof, and the harder test of whether one satellite can run both services simultaneously, still lies ahead.

Who is behind the deal?

Both companies raised significant capital in 2026 before reaching this milestone. SWISSto12, based in Lausanne, secured €73 million in January from European Space Agency member states for its HummingSat programme, then closed a €61 million Series C in July — roughly €134 million combined inside seven months.

Paris-based UNIVITY raised €27 million in April from Blast, Expansion, the Deeptech 2030 fund managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French State, and two family offices. The combined disclosed backing behind the partnership approaches €161 million.

Emile de Rijk, CEO and founder of SWISSto12, said: "UNIVITY set us an ambitious schedule; reaching Critical Design Review in less than one year was possible due to SWISSto12's proprietary and differentiated payload and antenna technology and a vertically integrated delivery model. It's a significant milestone for the program and the start of the next phase as we move into hardware production and an extensive verification and acceptance campaign."

What does the architecture actually do?

SWISSto12, founded in 2011 by de Rijk as a spin-off from his doctoral research at EPFL, builds satellite payloads, antenna systems and compact geostationary satellites using 3D printing. UNIVITY, founded in 2022 by Charles Delfieux and previously known as Constellation Technologies & Operations, is developing a Very Low Earth Orbit constellation meant to let telecom operators extend existing 5G services into space.

The antennas form part of UNIVITY's uniShape programme, supported by France 2030 and the French Space Agency (CNES). By integrating broadband and direct-to-device capability into a single satellite, UNIVITY wants operators to offer both services under their own brands — complementing terrestrial networks, not replacing them.

Charles Delfieux, Chief Executive Officer of UNIVITY, said: "Active antennas are central to our 5G payload architecture: they will enable a single satellite to deliver both broadband and direct-to-device connectivity. This dual capability is essential to our ambition of providing telecom operators with a shared space-based infrastructure that complements their terrestrial networks."

For SWISSto12, the contract puts its HummingLink antenna and payload technologies to work on a European project. It 3D-prints passive radiating components, integrating miniaturised low-loss filters with beamforming electronics and digital controls, all produced at its Swiss facilities from specification to finished hardware.

How big is Europe's SpaceTech funding wave?

The partnership lands amid a broader surge in European space investment. In October 2026, EU-Startups highlighted financing announcements exceeding €1.3 billion across a selected group of European companies, including €450 million in primary financing for Finland's ICEYE and €387 million for Germany's The Exploration Company.

Smaller startups have drawn capital too. Switzerland's Stellar Alpina raised €3.8 million to develop detonation-based propulsion for in-space mobility. France's ArcSpace secured more than €2 million for in-orbit satellite servicing and repair.

The SWISSto12–UNIVITY model splits satellite manufacturing, payload development and connectivity services across complementary companies and borders rather than concentrating them in one firm. Whether Europe's funding wave converts into genuine technological and commercial autonomy in space will depend on whether architectures like this one survive the verification campaign — and, eventually, the orbit.