Belgian startup Nxgsat raises early funds for virtual 5G satellite modem

TAMPA, Fla. — A Belgian startup led by satellite networking veterans announced 1.2 million euros ($1.4 million) in seed funding Oct. 21 to develop a virtual 5G modem, designed for multi-orbit compatibility across traditionally closed communications infrastructure.

Frederik Simoens, co-CEO and chief business officer at Nxgsat, said the funds will support product development and team expansion ahead of a planned commercial release in the second quarter of 2026.

Most satellite communications systems today use proprietary modems to translate signals between satellites and terrestrial antennas, restricting connections to a single operator’s network.

Simoens, a former chief technology officer at satellite communications equipment maker ST Engineering iDirect, said Nxgsat’s modem will be hardware-agnostic, using open standards to run on commercial off-the-shelf equipment or integrate directly into flat-panel antennas.

“Approaching this as a startup gives us a significant advantage,” he said. 

“We’re not constrained by legacy products or the innovator’s dilemma that holds back incumbent players who risk cannibalizing their existing products. By building directly on the 5G stack, we can tap into a rich ecosystem of existing technologies and avoid reinventing the wheel.”

Simoens was a vocal advocate for standardizing satellite and terrestrial infrastructure while at iDirect, which in 2022 demonstrated the ability of a virtual modem to extract information from a high-speed satellite signal. 

Nxgsat aims to take that concept further with a 5G New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks (NR NTN)-compliant modem built on the 3GPP standards used by terrestrial telecom operators.

The startup says its technology will enable users to move more easily between different satellite and terrestrial providers, reducing cost and complexity in hybrid network deployments.

Co-CEO and chief technology officer Alain Rolle, who previously worked with Simoens at iDirect as head of systems, said: “Imagine that your smartphone would only connect to a single mobile network — that’s the current reality of satellite communications. Nxgsat is on a mission to change that.”

As a European company, Nxgsat is also hoping for a role in Europe’s proposed IRIS² multi-orbit sovereign broadband constellation.

European investment firms PMV and Imec.istart Future Fund led the venture’s seed fuding round.