FOSSA Systems

FOSSA Systems builds pico, and nanosatellites launched into Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). Their LEO satellites carry IoT receivers and other payloads, such as SDRs (Software Defined Radios), which can act as IoT cell phone towers from Space.

FOSSA System's picosatellites provide IoT (The Internet of Things) to remote areas without mobile coverage for low-wattage devices.“FOSSA Systems IoT Smallsat Launch Accomplishment.” Satnews, 20 Jan. 2022, https://news.satnews.com/2022/01/20/fossa-systems-iot-smallsat-launch-accomplishment/. Retrieved March 20, 2023. These satellite communication services are commercialized by FOSSA as Software as a Service (SaaS) for IoT solutions or sold as dedicated satellites and ad-hoc projects.

The company's solution has applications in monitoring and tracking millions of assets in logistics, linear infrastructure, utilities, or agriculture in remote areas with connectivity issues or as a unified mass IoT system.{{cite web |last1=Weimann |first1=Christine |title=#WorldIPDay – FOSSA Systems: a young company conquering space to provide connectivity to remote areas |url=https://abg-ip.com/worldipday-fossa-systems/ |website=abg Intellectual Property |access-date=22 March 2023}}

File:FOSSA Systems 2022 satellite.jpgThe company plans to deploy a constellation of 80 satellites by 2024 and has four more spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2023.“Momentus to Fly FOSSA Systems PocketPod.” Business Wire, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230206005706/en/Momentus-to-Fly-FOSSA-Systems-PocketPod. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

FOSSA also manufactures ground stations for operating their constellation and currently has two installed, one in La Linea, Spain, and one in Madrid, Spain.Zato, Lola. “WISeKey Completes the Installation, in La Línea De La Concepción, of the First WISeSATS Satellite Station in Cooperation with FOSSA Systems.” WISeKey, 22 Dec. 2021, https://www.wisekey.com/press/wisekey-completes-the-installation-in-la-linea-de-la-concepcion-of-the-first-wisesats-satellite-station-in-cooperation-with-fossa-systems/. Retrieved March 20, 2023. FOSSA satellites receive messages from Space through their sensors and send the gained information to the ground stations on Earth. The sensors and ground stations use LoRa Technology to communicate.{{cite web |title=FOSSA Systems and Momentus to launch nine PocketQube satellites together |url=https://www.geospatialworld.net/news/fossa-systems-and-momentus-to-launch-nine-pocketqube-satellites-together/ |website=GeoSpatial World |access-date=23 March 2023}}

FOSSA Systems was initially founded as a non-profit project youth association in 2018 by 16-year-old Julián Fernandez to democratize access to space and the mass adoption of IoT.Allan, Alasdair. “FossaSat-1, an Open Source Satellite for the Internet of Things.” Hackster.io, 2019, https://www.hackster.io/news/fossasat-1-an-open-source-satellite-for-the-internet-of-things-7f31cab00ef5. Retrieved March 20, 2023. In 2019, they launched the first Spanish picosatellite FOSSASAT-1, which has a size of 5x5x5cm and a mass of 250g, to demonstrate their LoRa IoT Concept.Krebs, Gunter D. “FossaSat 1, 1b”. Gunter's Space Page. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/fossasat-1.htm. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

FOSSA Systems has made contributions to open-sourcing satellite software and hardware, which can be found on their GitHub.“FossaSat-1.” GitHub, 9 Dec. 2019, https://github.com/FOSSASystems/FOSSASAT-1. Retrieved March 20, 2023.“FOSSASAT-2.” GitHub, 22 Aug. 2021, https://github.com/FOSSASystems/FOSSASAT-2. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

File:Fossa Systems Prototype Satellite.jpg

Fossa Systems S.L. was officially founded in Spain on July 13, 2020, by Julián Fernández (CEO) and Vicente González (CTO).“Suppliers- Fossa Systems.” Sky Brokers, https://sky-brokers.com/supplier/fossa-systems/. Retrieved March 20, 2023. They noticed the need for a hardware manufacturer that provided remote IoT connectivity, so they created FOSSA Systems to offer affordable worldwide internet connections to those who need it.{{cite web |title=The Open-Source Revolution in Outer Space |url=https://medium.com/blogspacechain/the-open-source-revolution-in-outer-space-2beedf438b50#:~:text=Our%20goal%20is%20to%20democratise%20access%20to%20space,non-profit%20project%20on%20an%20online%20forum%20in%202018. |website=Medium |access-date=22 March 2023}}

The company grew organically to six employees and €160,000 in sales before raising €765,000 in seed funding from their investors, WISeKey (a Swiss cybersecurity company), and Newmind Venture (A venture capital firm in Spain), in early 2021.{{cite web |title=FOSSA Systems X Europe Startup Interview |url=https://www.xeurope.eu/post/fossa-systems-x-europe-startup-interview |website=X Europe |access-date=23 March 2023}}

The company has signed agreements to launch satellites for Platzi,Forbes Staff. “The Colombian Startup Platzi Announced That It Will Launch a Satellite into Space.” Forbes Colombia, 29 Apr. 2019, https://forbes.co/2022/04/29/tecnologia/la-startup-colombiana-platzi-anuncio-que-lanzara-un-satelite-al-espacio. Retrieved March 20, 2023. WISeKey,“WISeKey Successfully Launched Its First IoT Picosatellites WISeSat–1 and WISeSat–2 on January 13th with SpaceX Transporter 3 Rideshare Mission Aboard a Falcon 9 Vehicle.” WISeKey, 13 Jan. 2022, https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/01/13/2366746/0/en/WISeKey-successfully-launched-its-First-IoT-Picosatellites-WISeSat-1-and-WISeSat-2-on-January-13th-with-SpaceX-Transporter-3-Rideshare-Mission-Aboard-a-Falcon-9-Vehicle.html. Retrieved March 21, 2023. and others since its foundation.

In 2021, the company closed its first financing round in 2021 with over 1M in revenue since its foundation.

FOSSA received a €318,000 NEOTEC project grant from the CDTI in 2022“RESOLUCIÓN DEFINITIVA DE LA PRESIDENCIA DEL CDTI DE LA CONVOCATORIA DEL PROGRAMA NEOTEC DEL AÑO 2021.” NextGenerationEU. https://www.cdti.es/recursos/doc/Programas/Financiacion_CDTI/Subvenciones_NEOTEC/NEOTEC_2021/13118_2512512022144611.pdf.Retrieved March 21, 2023. to develop an earth-observation and IoT satellite platform.

In May 2023, FOSSA announced in partnership with WISeKey, it will be launching several new WISeSat-Ready FOSSA-powered satellites with SpaceX. These launches will add to the 13 FOSSA satellites currently in orbit. The satellites are set to be part of the 80-satellite constellation plan by FOSSA, with the goal of providing IoT connectivity in real time for industrial applications. The launch is set to be carried out by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 Vehicle in June 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-19 |title=WISeKey and FOSSA Systems to Launch New WISeSat-Ready Satellites with SpaceX |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wisekey-fossa-systems-launch-wisesat-135100241.html |access-date=2023-05-24 |website=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US}}

File:Fossa Systems Picosatellites.jpg

FOSSA systems built the first Spanish picosatellite FOSSASat-1, launched in December 2019 aboard an Electron rocket. The satellite transmitted LoRa & RTTY messages to amateurs worldwide.

In 2021, FOSSASat-1B and FOSSASat-2 were launched aboard a Firefly Alpha Rocket as part of the PICOBUS mission. The mission failed to reach orbit and was later successfully launched in 2022.“PAST MISSION FLTA001 DREAM Firefly’s 1st Test Flight.” FireFly Space, https://fireflyspace.com/missions/flta001-dream/. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

“PAST MISSION FLTA002 To The Black Firefly’s 1st Orbital Launch.” FireFly Space, https://fireflyspace.com/missions/flta002-to-the-black/. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

In January 2022, FOSSA launched six FOSSASat-2E satellites on board a Falcon-9 rocket to provide IoT services and other earth observation and edge-computing experiments.Kramer, Herbert J. “Transporter-3.” EoPortal, 18 Jan. 2022, https://www.eoportal.org/other-space-activities/transporter-3#transporter-3--third-rideshare-mission-of-spacex. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

In May 2022, FOSSA launched seven PocketQubes{{cite web |last1=Krebs |first1=Gunter D. |title=PocketQube |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sat/pocketqub.htm |website=Gunter's Space Page |access-date=22 March 2023}} called FOSSASat-2E x7, which are picosatellites that provide global IoT connectivity services. The seven satellites were on board a Momentus OTV (orbital transfer vehicle), amongst 52 others, flying on a Space X Falcon-9 ridesharing rocket.Kramer, Herbert J. “Transporter-5.” EoPortal, 27 May 2022, https://www.eoportal.org/other-space-activities/transporter-5#exolaunch-payloads. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

In June 2023, FOSSA launched four FEROX satellites using a 6U form factor split into four sections aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9 mission (Transporter-8).SatNews “FEROX”, 27 May 2022, https://news.satnews.com/2023/06/14/fossa-systems-launches-their-nexgen-iot-satellites/. Retrieved August 24, 2023.

In 2022, FOSSA Systems was the European company to launch the most nanosatellites into space (satellites under 1 kg), totalling 13 through two SpaceX Transporter Missions.{{cite web |title=Momentus to Fly FOSSA Systems PocketPod |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230206005706/en/Momentus-to-Fly-FOSSA-Systems-PocketPod |access-date=22 March 2023 |website=businesswire}}

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Category:Spacecraft manufacturers

Category:Manufacturing companies of Spain

Category:Spanish companies established in 2020