SWISSto12, an EPFL spin-off that supplies telecommunications components to the satellite and aerospace industries, has today announced the completion of a CHF 18.1 million fundraising round.
The company plans to use the money, secured from Swisscanto Invest, Swisscom Ventures and CNB, to scale up the production and marketing of its components, some of which went into orbit several months ago.
Metal-coated 3D-printed components
Data-transfer needs, driven by TVs, telephones, surveillance, GPS and the internet, are growing non-stop. This requires ever more satellite bandwidth, and thus increasingly high wave frequencies – the microwave threshold was crossed several years ago. Yet the higher the frequency the more difficult it is to control, and this is where the quality and shape of antennas play a crucial role. SWISSto12 uses a patented process to manufacture metal-plated 3D-printed components. Behind their brightly colored veneer lies a complex maze of tiny conduits, each custom-built for a specific application. The firm’s antennas are ten times lighter than their all-metal equivalents – a significant difference in an industry where every gram saved translates into lower cost.