Australian satellite imagery supplier, Arlula, has raised $3.4 million in what is says was an oversubscribed funding round.

The round, which was led by Paspalis Capital and included participation from Main Sequence Ventures, Startmate and Moonshot, builds on an earlier investment from Lockheed Martin Ventures in 2023 and a $2.2m round in 2022.

The company does not launch or own Earth imagery satellites. Rather, it positions itself as a reseller and value-adder between the satellite imagery companies and clients.

Arlula says it is developing Earth observation data infrastructure software that automates satellite tasking and data processing, sourcing the data from multiple providers.

“Access to satellite imagery is no longer the constraint, speed and reliability are,” said Sebastian Chaoui, co-founder and chief executive of Arlula.

“The infrastructure required to task satellites, process data and deliver it into real-world systems is still largely manual. We’re building the software layer that automates that entire workflow.”

Expansion

According to Paspalis Capital investor Alex Farrugia, Arlula’s offering reflects a shift in the space sector.

“Much of the industry has focused on building satellites, but the real challenge is how that data is managed and used,” he said.

“Arlula is building the software that makes that process faster and more accessible for customers.”

Arlula will use the new funding to expand its engineering and product teams.

“We’re now scaling both the platform and the team,” said Arran Salerno, co-founder and chief operating officer.

“We’re actively hiring across engineering, product, and delivery, particularly in roles focused on building and scaling core infrastructure.

“It’s a rare opportunity to work on foundational systems at the intersection of space, defence, and AI at a time when the category is being defined.”