A nanosatellite in ELSE’s AstroCast constellation, rendering. Photo: ELSE

With guidance from Picone Advisory Group, Swiss space startup Else has formed a strategic alliance with Thuraya Telecommunications. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that allows both companies to collaborate and benefit from each other’s capabilities on multiple fronts, including technical, regulatory, and sales and marketing. In addition to expediting access to the market, the agreement between Thuraya and Else extends both their product and service portfolios.

Else had retained Picone Advisory Group to help the Swiss company acquire funding for its 64-nanosatellite constellation AstroCast. AstroCast is a network of nanosatellites that will provide global Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication for businesses worldwide. According to Else, the constellation will allow companies to connect assets to information systems through Internet of Things (IoT) services.

The first satellites are scheduled for launch by 2018, as a demonstration mission, with a plan to have a total of 64 satellites in orbit by 2021. Once fully operational, the constellation will provide remote monitoring, geolocation services, predictive maintenance, and intelligent data gathering. According to Else, the full scope of markets that will benefit from these capabilities include retail, agriculture, automotive, utilities, maritime, and oil and gas, among others.