Capella Space
Synthetic aperture radar satellite imagery and geospatial analytics provider.
Capella Space operates a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, providing high-resolution Earth imagery regardless of weather conditions or time of day, for defense, intelligence, and commercial customers. Capella was the first US commercial SAR satellite company. Co-founder Payam Banazadeh stepped down as CEO in October 2023, remaining on the board; Frank Backes, previously SVP for Federal Space and Commercial Cyber Operations at Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, became CEO. IonQ completed its all-stock acquisition of Capella in July 2025, valued at roughly $424.8M at closing, to build a space-based satellite quantum key distribution network; Capella continues operating as a wholly owned IonQ subsidiary under its own brand, and was one of three companies (with ICEYE US and Umbra) awarded a Radar Commercial Augmentation contract by the National Reconnaissance Office in August 2026.
Overview
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, CA
- Founded
- 2016
- Employees
- 200
- Total funding
- $250M
- Stage
- Acquired by IonQ (2025)
- Status
- acquired
- Domains
- Synthetic aperture radar, Earth observation, Defense intelligence
- X / Twitter
- x.com/capellaspace
- Website
- capellaspace.com
Founders2
Investors1
Cap table1
Approximate ownership by holder. Indexed holders link to their records.
Raised per round
Percentages marked ~ are not disclosed. Some are a generic VC-pattern model (founders/team weighted heaviest, option pool lightest, other holders evenly) sized to whatever's left undisclosed — a standard industry shape, not this company's actual cap table.
| Holder | Instrument | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
Founders & team | Common | ~37.5% |
Series C investorsNew | Preferred (Series C) | ~25.0% |
Other investors | Preferred / Common | ~25.0% |
Employee option pool | Options | ~12.5% |
Contracts2
Frequently asked
- What does Capella Space do?
- Capella Space operates a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, providing high-resolution Earth imagery regardless of weather conditions or time of day, for defense, intelligence, and commercial customers. Capella was the first US commercial SAR satellite company. Co-founder Payam Banazadeh stepped down as CEO in October 2023, remaining on the board; Frank Backes, previously SVP for Federal Space and Commercial Cyber Operations at Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, became CEO. IonQ completed its all-stock acquisition of Capella in July 2025, valued at roughly $424.8M at closing, to build a space-based satellite quantum key distribution network; Capella continues operating as a wholly owned IonQ subsidiary under its own brand, and was one of three companies (with ICEYE US and Umbra) awarded a Radar Commercial Augmentation contract by the National Reconnaissance Office in August 2026.
- Where is Capella Space headquartered?
- Capella Space is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and was founded in 2016.
- How much funding has Capella Space raised?
- Capella Space has raised $250M in disclosed funding.
- What does Capella Space specialize in?
- Capella Space works across Synthetic aperture radar, Earth observation, Defense intelligence.
- Does Capella Space hold government contracts?
- Defense Tech Atlas links Capella Space to 2 government contracts and 1 program.
Sources & citations4
4 sources behind every claim
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