Italian space startup, Kurs Orbital, has successfully secured $4 million in seed funding. The Turin-based company, co-founded in 2021 by the ex-director of Ukraine’s space agency, Volodymyr Usov, focuses on developing innovative technology for in-space satellite servicing.

Kurs Orbital moved its operations to Italy in 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Its current base is at the European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Center. The seed funding round was headed by European firm OTB Ventures, with contributions from Credo Ventures, Galaxia, InQTel, and Inovo.

With this capital, the company plans to expedite the development and commercialization of an interface module called ARCap. This technology has been designed by Kurs to facilitate in-orbit docking and maneuvers, also known as rendezvous and proximity operations.

The company intends to provide ARCap as a standalone product to other organisations rather than building servicing vehicles. Kurs’ CEO, Usov, expressed hope that this strategy would quicken satellite servicing operations and debris removal.

Kurs anticipates the delivery of a flight-ready ARCap module by the end of 2025. Designed with a modular architecture, it can be scaled to accommodate varying applications and orbits. The company’s first system tailored for low Earth orbit missions is already in the pipeline.

Usov mentioned that Kurs has entered into various agreements with satellite manufacturers and space logistics companies that include Clearspace, Thales Alenia, and DOrbit.

Source: Italian space startup Kurs Orbital raises $4 million in seed funding.