Italian startup ORiS raises 5 million euros for laser power-beaming technology

Turin-based startup ORiS has raised 5 million euros ($5.7 million) to develop wireless power-beaming technology that uses lasers to transmit energy between satellites.

The pre-seed round of 4.5 million euros was led by Earlybird and co-led by Pitchdrive, with participation from Galaxia, Vento and Piemonte Next Fund. The company also received a grant of 500,000 euros from an Italian regional startup program.

ORiS is developing technology that uses lasers to transmit power to satellites. The company has already tested the system on the ground, successfully beaming power to drones hovering 100 meters from the transmitter. In space, a spacecraft equipped with a laser would transmit power to another spacecraft, which could receive it using its existing solar arrays without any 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, in an interview.

The funding will enable the 15-person company to test the technology in orbit next year. In the first quarter of 2027, ORiS will work with Dcubed on a mission demonstrating laser power transmission over a distance of 10 meters. Villa said the company plans a second demonstration mission in 2027 with an undisclosed partner.

"With these two launches, we will demonstrate the building blocks," he said. "We will then be ready to launch a third mission with one of our first clients we already have, and the aim will be to demonstrate the feasibility of the service."

Wireless power beaming has attracted growing interest as a way to provide more power to satellites, allowing them to operate with smaller solar arrays and batteries. Star Catcher Industries, a Florida company working on power-beaming technology, raised $65 million in a Series A round in May. The Defense Innovation Unit recently issued a solicitation for commercial power-beaming technologies, targeting operational capability for military applications by the end of the decade.

Villa highlighted key differences between ORiS and Star Catcher. ORiS uses lasers, while Star Catcher focuses sunlight onto customer satellites' solar panels using lenses. "With lasers, you can have a much more compact system instead of the big lenses like Star Catcher is using," he said. "But it may be much cheaper to launch lenses and mirrors like they are using compared to a laser system. So, it's always a tradeoff."

The companies also differ in market positioning. While Star Catcher has highlighted its technology for orbital data centers, ORiS focuses on supporting a larger number of smaller spacecraft using a network of tens to hundreds of satellites.

ORiS's ground-based testing business, using lasers to power drones, has evolved into a separate product line called LOONA, which received support from NATO's DIANA innovation accelerator program. The company expects LOONA to enter the market by the end of 2026.

"ORiS' dual-use roadmap combines near-term validation with an ambitious vision for the future," said Koen Christiaens, managing partner at Pitchdrive. "LOONA gives the company a faster path to validating its core wireless power technology and building commercial momentum."

ORiS also has ambitions to use its laser power-beaming technology on the moon to support exploration missions, particularly during 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. "So it's a seed that we are planting today."