Chinese startup Bluelink Satcom attracted from $3 to $13 million in an early round of investment. The main goal of the company is to create a network of satellites, capable of detecting Bluetooth signals from orbit. The venture fund LinGe Ventures became the leader in financing, and Hongfu Capital also took part. The funds received will be used to create the first Chinese Bluetooth satellite, its launch, operation and expansion of the development team.
A new approach to satellite communication
Bluelink Satcom offers an innovative application of Bluetooth technology for the organization of low-speed, large-scale Internet of things (IoT). This will allow data to be transmitted via satellites without the need for sophisticated ground-based equipment.
Bluetooth is typically used to connect devices over short distances, however, the company intends to adapt the technology in this way, so that ultra-sensitive receivers on satellites can pick up weak signals from the ground, which pass through the atmosphere. This will significantly reduce energy consumption and infrastructure costs, and will also provide coverage in hard-to-reach regions.
Expected, that the technology will be particularly useful for meteorological monitoring, control of traffic flows, analysis of the condition of bridges and buildings. At the same time, the device, connecting to satellites, will not require any changes to their hardware — just a Bluetooth software update.
Satellite network deployment plans
The company plans to launch the first satellite in the second or third quarter 2025 year. By the end of the year, four satellites should be in orbit, which will be tested and confirm the functionality of the system.
Bluelink Satcom counts, what to the end 2028 will be in orbit for a year 72 satellites, which will allow for quick data updates with a time interval within a few minutes.
Competition and market for IoT satellites
Bluelink Satcom actually competes with only one startup in this specific niche, America's Hubble Network, which seeks to create a global network of 96 satellites to 2028 year.
Companies are already operating on the market, offering satellite IoT communications, among them Swarm, Lacuna Space та Astrocast. However, they all use their own specialized hardware or proprietary protocols. The uniqueness of Bluelink Satcom is that, that its solution does not require changes to users' devices, but only Bluetooth software updates. This gives the company the ability to quickly scale its services, especially in the Chinese market, where Bluetooth technologies are widely used.
State support for commercial space in China
Bluelink Satcom's development comes amid active support from the Chinese government for the commercial space sector. China's central government is encouraging the creation of private space companies, and many provinces are developing programs to attract investment and develop innovations in this area. This creates a favorable environment for the growth of Bluelink Satcom and its projects.
Source: https://spacenews.com/chinese-bluetooth-satellite-startup-raises-early-funding/