Marble Imaging Raises €5.3 Million in Seed Funding to Scale High-Resolution Earth Observation Constellation
Europe faces significant challenges due to a deficit of independent, timely, and high-resolution Earth observation data, particularly as demands increase across defense, climate monitoring, disaster response, energy transition, and infrastructure development. Existing solutions often fall short in terms of speed, data sovereignty, and resolution required for informed decision-making.
Established in Bremen in 2023, Marble Imaging aims to address these gaps through a constellation of multispectral satellites designed to provide global, very high-resolution imagery at intervals as frequent as hourly, accompanied by analytics tailored for practical application.
The company has recently secured €5.3 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round led by High-Tech Gründerfonds, with additional support from BAB Beteiligungs- und Managementgesellschaft Bremen mbH (BBM), Lightfield Equity, Oslo Venture Company, nwk | nwu Beteiligungsgesellschaften der Sparkasse Bremen, Sentris Capital, Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, and SpaceFounders.
This investment will facilitate Marble Imaging’s expansion, enhancement of its technological capabilities, and the preparatory steps toward launching its inaugural satellite in 2026. It will also expedite the development of intelligence, maritime, and terrain-analysis tools that are already being utilized by early adopters.
To date, the company has secured over €10 million in non-dilutive funding and has concluded a €3 million anchor contract with the European Space Agency (ESA).
Marble Imaging was co-founded by Robert Hook (CEO), Dr. Gopika Suresh (CSO), and Alexander Epp (CBDO), each bringing extensive expertise in space systems, Earth observation, satellite data processing, and industry business development. Notably, Robert Hook previously managed key European EO initiatives, including the Copernicus CO2M mission.
Driven by the strategic imperative for autonomous European Earth observation capabilities and escalating international demand for accessible, high-quality EO data, Marble Imaging is committed to delivering rapid, reliable, and independent VHR EO data. Their objective is to enable timely, data-driven decisions for security, environmental stewardship, and infrastructure management, positioning the company as a leading European provider in the global market.
At the core of the company’s solution are compact satellites equipped with advanced multispectral cameras capable of capturing visible, near-infrared, and short-wave infrared imagery. These platforms offer high-frequency imaging worldwide, enhanced by proprietary AI analytics for detailed terrain and traffic assessment, and supported by an integrated delivery pipeline from satellite to user interface. The system’s dual-use architecture supports both civilian and defense applications seamlessly.
In contrast to competitors such as Maxar Technologies, with larger, higher-cost satellites; Planet Labs, offering daily but lower-resolution imaging; and ICEYE, with a radar-centric approach, Marble Imaging focuses on European data sovereignty, ultra-fast revisit times, and analytics specifically optimized for urgent European requirements.
The company intends to expand its satellite constellation to up to 20 units by 2028, enabling near-hourly revisits and actionable insights for clients in defense, climate surveillance, and emergency response. Current service offerings include object detection for intelligence purposes, terrain and trafficability analyses, coastal asset monitoring, and land cover classification.
“Marble Imaging is addressing a critical European capability gap in the very-high resolution domain, and I do not see any other company tackling it faster than Marble does. The need for independent, timely and VHR optical data will only increase in the coming years, and I’m happy to support the founders building a European star for a global market,” said Koen Geurts, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF.