Rendering of an Array Labs radar satellite in orbit. Photo: Array Labs

Array Labs, a startup focused on building radar payload technology for satellites, has raised $20 million in a new funding round announced Monday. 

Catapult Ventures led the round with participation from Washington Harbour Partners, Kompas VC, and other new and existing investors, including Y Combinator, Maiora Capital, Animal Capital, Aera VC, Cultivation Capital, and Clearance Ventures. This brings total funding raised to $35 million, including a $5 million seed in 2022 and a $10 million round in 2024.

Array Labs has developed a family of radar instruments that it says can deliver up to 100 times the power of legacy systems at less than 1% of the cost. The company says its technology can be mass-manufactured with techniques used by consumer electronics and telecommunications to lower the cost. 

The startup has three business lines: selling standalone radar payloads; fully integrated satellites or satellite clusters; and 3D imagery and analytics from its own satellite constellation. The company is working toward launching a formation-flying radar satellite cluster.

“The radar satellite industry today looks like space launch before SpaceX: dominated by legacy defense contractors building bespoke, expensive systems one at a time,” said Andrew Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Array Labs. “We’ve assembled a team from the most innovative technology companies in Silicon Valley to do something different: build radar that can be produced at scale, at commercial price points, without sacrificing capability.”

Array Labs plans to use the financing to scale engineering, product, and go-to-market teams; expand production capacity; complete flight qualification; and advance its satellite constellation.