Paris-based SpaceTech startup ArcSpace has closed a funding round of over €2 million to accelerate development of its electron-beam tools for in-orbit satellite repair, assembly and manufacturing. The round was led by DEPO Ventures through its DEPO Ventures One fund, with participation from SCE Freiraum Ventures, IRDI Capital Investissement and a French Business Angels network.
Repairing Satellites That Were Never Meant To Be Serviced
Founded in 2022, ArcSpace has developed a compact electron-beam effector that can cut, weld and join materials directly in the vacuum of deep space with no hazardous waste. Its distinguishing claim is the ability to capture and repair satellites that were never originally engineered for servicing — a use case that today's docking-and-berthing architectures largely cannot handle.
"When something failed or a satellite ran out of fuel, infrastructure worth hundreds of millions of euros was lost," said CEO and co-founder Guillaume Mohara. "At ArcSpace, we believe that the ability to manufacture, repair, and modify equipment directly in orbit is the only way to build a sustainable and secure space economy."
First Autonomous In-Orbit Welding In 2027
ArcSpace says its technology recently passed high-vacuum and mechanical vibration testing. The new capital will fund team growth, flight-hardware qualification and preparation for a first demonstration mission planned for 2027, aiming for more than 100 seconds of fully autonomous welding aboard a spacecraft — which the company frames as a world first.
Backed By CNES, ESA And European Defence Fund
ArcSpace has already lined up collaborations with the French space agency (CNES), the European Space Agency and the European Defence Fund, and says its solution has drawn interest from more than a dozen commercial customers. The European Commission has designated In-Orbit Servicing and Operations (ISOS) as a foundation of its future space economy, with a dedicated ISOS Pilot Mission targeted for 2030.
Racing Alongside Europe's Space Push
The round lands in a busy season for European in-space infrastructure, alongside deals like Muon Space's $250M Series C at $1.5B and SpaceX's continued Starlink launches from Vandenberg. ArcSpace plans to bring its product to market by 2028 and scale the same electron-beam technology to on-orbit and lunar assembly of large structures.
Reporting based on coverage from EU-Startups and DEPO Ventures materials.