Italian Startup ORiS Raises €5 Million for Laser Power-Beaming Technology for Satellites

ORiS, a Turin-based startup developing wireless power transmission technology for satellites using lasers, has raised €5 million ($5.7 million) in pre-seed funding and grants.

The company announced July 21 that it raised €4.5 million in a round led by Earlybird and co-led by Pitchdrive, with participation from Galaxia, Vento, and Piemonte Next Fund, plus a €500,000 grant from an Italian regional startup program.

Founded in 2024 by four aerospace engineering graduates from Politecnico di Torino, ORiS is developing laser-based systems to transmit power between spacecraft. In ground tests, the technology has successfully powered drones hovering 100 meters from the transmitter — a terrestrial system called LOONA that has received support from NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator (DIANA).

Recharging Satellites with Lasers

In space, one satellite equipped with a laser would transmit power to another spacecraft, which could receive it using its existing solar arrays without modifications. "We worked on a laser system with a combination of multiple lasers that can allow us to be compatible with existing satellites and with every kind of solar panel out there," said Andrea Villa, co-founder and CEO of ORiS.

The company contrasts its approach with U.S. competitor Star Catcher Industries, which raised $65 million in May for a similar concept using focused sunlight. "With lasers, you can have a much more compact system instead of the big lenses," Villa said. "But it may be much cheaper to launch lenses and mirrors compared to a laser system."

First In-Orbit Demo Planned for 2027

The funding will support two in-orbit demonstration missions next year. The first, in Q1 2027, will partner with Dcubed to demonstrate laser power transmission over 10 meters. A second mission with an undisclosed partner is also planned.

Villa said the company already has a first client — a company that operates satellites hosting payloads for others — for a third mission to demonstrate the service's feasibility.

Lunar Ambitions

ORiS also sees potential applications on the Moon, where its laser power-beaming technology could help missions survive the 14-day lunar night when solar power is unavailable. "It's something very long term in the future, but it's quite in synergy with what we are building," Villa said.

The company's terrestrial LOONA system has attracted interest from institutional and private entities, and ORiS plans to bring it to market by the end of this year as a separate business line.

Source: https://spacenews.com/italian-startup-oris-raises-funding-for-laser-power-beaming-technology/