Skylo, an IoT startup that offers Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite connectivity, has secured $30 million in an overly subscribed funding round. The investment was led by NGP Capital and was joined by Westly Group, Intel Capital, BMW I Ventures, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Next47 and others. This brings Skylo’s total funding to $183 million.
The new capital will accelerate Skyro’s reach to Brazil, Australia and New Zealand, expanding US coverage, including Alaska, Hawaii and US territories through a partnership with Viasat. Skylo’s network is already in use across five continents that connect smartphones, vehicles and IoT devices without the need for additional hardware.
Expanding satellite internet for mass adoption
The company was founded in 2017 by CEO Parth Trivedi, Chief Technology Officer Dr Andrew Nuttall, and Hub Chief Architect Dr Andrew Kalman. Mountain View Skylo came from Stealth in January 202 and led satellite internet to a larger audience with a $116 million funding led by SoftBank. You can link machines, sensors and devices at remote locations to provide real-time, affordable IoT connectivity. Skylo’s $100 hub antenna distributes satellite signals across multiple Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, further reducing costs.
Built on a 3GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core, Skylo’s commercial NTN VRAN system enables mobile network operators and device manufacturers to bridge ground and satellite networks. In addition to consumer devices, the service supports industries such as agriculture, maritime, logistics and mining.
With no reliable cellular coverage in many areas yet, Skylo allows standard smartphones and IoT devices to seamlessly switch between cellular and satellite networks. The company works with tier-1 carriers, smartphone makers and IoT providers to ensure uninterrupted connectivity in areas with no infrastructure.
Affordable connectivity and market impact
The idea of connecting all objects to the internet has long been pursued, but the challenge has been affordability and accessibility. Existing satellite solutions are too expensive for mass adoption. Skylo will change this with a low-cost satellite service starting at just $1 per user.
Skylo’s technology is 95% less than existing satellite solutions, making it the most affordable option available. The service supports remote businesses, improves safety, promotes economic growth, and enhances disaster preparedness and response efforts. It sends data through the satellite to the cloud from its collective portable satellite transceiver and IoT hubs and previous offline sensors.
Parthsarathi Trivedi, CEO and co-founder of Skylo, highlighted the company’s vision. Skylo is synonymous with Connectivity for everyone, and with this new funding, you can expand the market scope even faster. ”
Unlike traditional satellite providers, Skylo integrates with existing chipsets, eliminating the need for specialized hardware. Its standards-based network works with a wide ecosystem of partners, from chipset manufacturers to SIM providers, allowing mobile network operators and MVNOs to expand coverage to areas without cell towers.
Skylo’s services already process millions of messages around the world and play a key role in emergencies. For the past few months, Skylo-enabled smartphones have been helping users during hurricanes and wildfires when traditional networks are down.
Debjit Mukerji, a partner at NGP Capital, highlighted Skylo’s industry leadership. It already operates one of the world’s first commercial solutions at scale, with millions of consumers connected to the Skylo network. It is the depth of the “standard” technology stack that democratizes access to ubiquitous mobile connections that unravel Skylo’s incredible growth. We are excited to partner with Perth and his team as their global commercialization continues to change. ”
Skylo will showcase satellite-powered SOS, SMS and AI chat features on 4F30 at the GSMA pavilion in Hall 4 at MWC Barcelona 2025 from March 3rd to 6th.
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