EON Raises $10.75 Million to Build 20-Satellite Laser Data Network
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 4
EON Raises $10.75 Million to Build 20-Satellite Laser Data Network
1 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 4
Summary
$10.75 million in seed funding from General Catalyst and Andreessen Horowitz brings Endeavor Optical Networks out of stealth to pursue orbital laser links between global data centers.
EON is pitching the network as an alternative to hard-to-repair undersea cables, targeting underserved or costly routes such as France-Australia and Africa-South America for hyperscalers, AI labs and CDNs.
2.4 terabits per second is EON's initial throughput goal—far above the 2.5 Gbps shown in prior private space-to-ground demos—though atmospheric distortion and cloud cover remain major technical hurdles.
About 20 satellites would provide dedicated intercontinental links and 24-hour early coverage, with redundant ground stations and weather-based routing intended to improve reliability.
By late 2027, the startup aims to launch a demo satellite capable of at least 800 Gbps downlink, entering a race that also includes Blue Origin's planned 5,048-satellite TeraWave network.