5 January 2026 Roku startup Array Labs, which develops radar-based Earth observation satellites, announced the engagement $20 million in a Series A round. The company aims to bring synthetic aperture radar to the commercial and national security markets (SAR) at a lower cost. Funds from the Series A round will be used to expand engineering and manufacturing capabilities, completion of flight qualification of radar panels and preparation for the first operational cluster.
Array plans to produce radars, which can be scaled at commercial prices without loss of capability. SAR is valued by defense and intelligence agencies, because it allows you to collect images during the day and at night, and also through the clouds, smoke and other obstacles, that impair the operation of optical sensors. The Array architecture differs from traditional single-satellite SAR systems. The company plans to launch clusters of small satellites, which will fly in coordinated formations and photograph the same area from different angles. By combining these data sets, Array claims, which can create 3D models of terrain and objects with faster re-flight times, than in existing approaches.
Over the past two years, the company has received about six contracts from the US defense and intelligence agencies. Array has also entered into multi-year agreements, associated with her first radar cluster, with mining companies, infrastructure and embodied artificial intelligence - categories, involving robots and autonomous systems, which rely on highly accurate environmental data.
The startup is also actively integrating its technology into the broader geospatial and defense ecosystem. Last year, Array announced a partnership with Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems and Umbra Space to develop advanced 3D Earth observation products, including a radar product called Site3D. in addition, Array signed an agreement with Maxar Intelligence (now operating as Vantor) on the integration of 3D data, obtained using the Array radar, into Vantor's global relief products.
Source: https://spacenews.com