Belgian spacetech company EDGX has secured a €2.3 million seed investment to boost the commercial launch of its satellite AI computing system, EDGX Sterna. The funding round was jointly led by the imec.istart future fund and the Flanders Future Tech Fund, which is managed by PMV, a Flemish public investment entity. EDGX has planned two missions for 2026.
Additionally, the company has entered into a €1.1 million commercial agreement with a satellite operator and confirmed an in-orbit demonstration aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in February 2026. EDGX operates at the nexus of edge computing and space infrastructure, a rapidly expanding segment as satellite networks require quicker, more autonomous data handling.
“Customers are signing on even before flight validation,” said Nick Destrycker, founder and CEO. “With our full launch schedule, secured contracts, and our first mission aboard Falcon 9, this funding allows us to expand to meet the demand for real-time space intelligence.”
The cornerstone of EDGX’s product is the Sterna AI data processing unit, built on NVIDIA Jetson Orin hardware. It is designed to execute complex machine learning models directly on satellites, moving away from the traditional “store-and-forward” method, whereby satellites collect and send large amounts of raw data to Earth for processing.
This new architecture provides significant benefits by enabling real-time processing in orbit, reducing latency and bandwidth needs, and allowing for autonomous decision-making critical for applications like earth observation, spectrum monitoring, and space-based 5G/6G networks.
The DPU operates with EDGX’s proprietary SpaceFeather software, which features a radiation-hardened Linux OS, onboard health monitoring, fault detection, and recovery, as well as a framework to deploy new capabilities post-launch.
“Going all-in on a space startup is bold,” said Wouter Benoot, co-founder and CTO. “The team makes it work with fresh ideas and a passion for space. We’re building a subsystem for next-generation satellites.”
EDGX’s Sterna system is aimed at high-impact applications, including spectrum monitoring, earth observation, and telecom networks. As thousands of satellites now orbit and serve as the backbone of commercial and governmental operations, EDGX asserts that space computing is rapidly becoming essential.
“The space sector faces a data handling bottleneck with outdated ‘store and forward’ methods,” stated Kris Vandenberk of imec.istart future fund. “EDGX solves this by incorporating AI-powered edge computing directly in space.”
As space competition intensifies, Europe is investing more in local solutions. EDGX’s funding aligns with broader EU efforts to bolster the bloc’s space infrastructure capabilities.
“This funding allows us to support EDGX’s talented team in advancing Flemish technology,” said Roald Borré, Head of Venture Capital at PMV. “EDGX is one of few European firms offering a high-performance, robust product, giving it a unique edge in the growing space computing market.”