A new era of space technology dawns as Kapta Space, a Seattle-based trailblazer, emerges from stealth mode with a $5 million seed round, poised to redefine radar capabilities from orbit. Announced today, the funding—led by MetaVC Partners with support from Entrada Ventures and Blue Collective—ushers in a sophisticated leap forward in electronically-steered, radar-based imaging systems. This infusion will fast-track Kapta Space’s on-orbit demonstrations, promising transformative applications for both national defense and commercial industries.
At the helm are co-founders Milton Perque, a veteran of Echodyne, and Adam Bily, formerly of Apple and Astranis, who launched Kapta Space in 2023. Their vision harnesses metasurface technology to deliver a radar array that outstrips traditional Active Electronically Steered Arrays (AESAs) in scalability, cost, and performance. From Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Kapta Space aims to unlock persistent geospatial imagery for Earth Observation (EO) and advanced ground target tracking for defense—capabilities poised to fill critical gaps in today’s satellite landscape.
“This isn’t just about pictures from space,” declared Adam Bily, CTO and co-founder of Kapta Space. “Our system opens up a diverse array of data products for commercial use. Beyond high-resolution snapshots, we’re enabling techniques like InSAR—offering 3D deformation maps with centimeter precision over vast areas.” Bily envisions a constellation of just 10 satellites delivering rapid, actionable infrastructure monitoring worldwide, a boon for sectors like mining that crave precise, real-time insights.
Milton Perque, CEO and co-founder of Kapta Space, sees even broader horizons. “We’re building a multi-mission radar sensor that transcends EO,” he said. “Imagine tracking slow-moving ground targets from space—Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI)—at scale. That’s a defense capability that’s been elusive with low-cost systems. Our tech makes it sophisticated yet affordable, meeting a decades-long military ambition to shift airborne missions skyward.” Indeed, Kapta Space has already earned a $1.8 million SBIR contract from the Department of Defense in 2023, signaling trust in its breakthrough potential
Leveraging Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Kapta Space promises round-the-clock, high-resolution imagery and analytics—a stark contrast to the limitations of current EO offerings. Chris Alliegro, managing partner at MetaVC Partners, praised the ingenuity: “AESAs falter in space due to cost and complexity. Kapta Space’s metasurface-driven radar delivers superior scanning with less power and expense. With Milton and Adam—pioneers in this field—leading the charge, the future looks remarkably bright.”
Editorial Perspective: A Stellar Trajectory Ahead
Kapta Space is planting a flag in a space tech frontier that’s both timely and teeming with possibility. As nations and industries clamor for persistent, precise data from orbit—whether for defense vigilance or commercial foresight—their focus on affordable, advanced radar systems hits a sweet spot. The dual-use potential here is striking: supporting military needs like GMTI while serving civilian sectors with tools like InSAR positions Kapta Space as a linchpin in a data-hungry world. Their early DoD backing only underscores the trust in their technical prowess.
What’s more, Kapta Space is riding a wave of innovation where cost-efficiency meets ambition. The space industry is shifting from bloated, bespoke systems to agile, scalable solutions—exactly where Kapta Space thrives. Their lean constellation model and metasurface edge could democratize high-quality radar data, sparking advancements in everything from disaster response to urban planning. If they deliver on these demonstrations, Kapta Space might not just track targets—they could set the pace for a new generation of orbital intelligence.
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