Satellite startup Constellr wins backing to build out its water-monitoring platform • TechCrunch

We live in the age of so-called micro-satellites, equipped with thermal cameras and other brands, for example, to alert farmers before crops are damaged, to predict droughts, and to help manipulate supply chains. Climate change is reducing the amount of land available for agricultural food production, leading to strict regulations on water and fertilizer use. Wasted water now costs 220 billion euros a year, according to some estimates, and is expected to reach a staggering 2 trillion euros by the end of the decade.

To address this, Germany-based The launch of the Constellar satellite It has now raised $10 million in seed funding, co-led by Lakestar and VSquared, with early and new backers FTTF, IQT, Amathaon Capital, Natural Ventures, EIT Food, OHB Venture Capital, Next Humanity and Seraphim.

This space water monitoring system checks Earth’s surface temperature and soon also its chemical composition. The platform will also look at the availability of water around the world on a daily basis.

Constellar will use the cash to develop the first two satellites, which take measurements beyond infrared wavelengths (8-14 microns) to calculate surface temperature and thus measure water distribution.

The investment shows that there is an ongoing investment in space infrastructure coming from Germany.

Lakestar and Vsquared are also investors in space startup Isar Aerospace, demonstrating that Europe is keeping pace with geographies like the United States and China in an era when space sovereignty is more important than ever.