SAN FRANCISCO – HawkEye 360 announced the acquisition Dec. 18 of Maxar Intelligence RF Solutions, the business unit formed after Maxar acquired Aurora Insight.
Details of the transaction, which was completed Dec. 15, were not disclosed.
“The on-orbit assets and expertise of the RF Solutions group from Maxar Intelligence brings a complementary capability to HawkEye 360,” HawkEye 360 President Rob Rainhart said in a statement. “Our existing satellites do very well at precise geolocation and characterization of signals. This technology from the former Aurora Insight team will allow HawkEye 360 to quickly scan gigahertz of bandwidth to efficiently map active frequencies at a regional level. We look forward to rapidly integrating these powerful capabilities and talented personnel into the company to further accelerate the value we bring to our clients.”
The acquisition gives HawkEye 360 two additional RF-monitoring satellites to add to its 21-satellite constellation. It also expands HawkEye 360’s coverage to include RF signals from 26 to 40 GHz.
“We see meaningful business potential for this wideband scanning mission to accelerate our discovery of new signals and expand our capacity to serve government intelligence users,” said Patrick Zeitouni, HawkEye 360 chief strategy officer, said in a statement. “This acquisition will enable the exploration of new market segments, including the potential to support the burgeoning needs of commercial telecommunication operators.”
The Backstory
HawkEye 360 specializes in detected, characterized and geolocated RF signals from ships, vehicles, electronic jammers and other devices with its fleet of 21 satellites. A dozen additional HawkEye 360 satellites are scheduled to launch in 2024.
HawkEye 360 and Maxar RF Solutions have been working together to provide RF data to the National Reconnaissance Office. In April, the companies won a two-year option to provide data for the NRO’s Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement program.
Maxar completed its acquisition earlier this year of Aurora Insight, a firm that gathered data on spectrum and wireless network infrastructure with terrestrial, airborne and satellite sensors. The acquisition followed Maxar’s 2022 investment in the Denver-based startup.
HawkEye 360 delivers geospatial intelligence primarily to government customers. The Herndon, Virginia-based company raised $58 million in a Series D-1 investment round announced in July.
The investment coupled with growing demand for geospatial intelligence put the company on a path towards profitability and potentially going public, HawkEye 360 CEO John Serafini said in September.
