EON will build a 20-satellite laser network to carry data between data centers at 2.4 terabits per second.
EON, also called Endeavor Optical Networks, emerged from stealth with $10.75 million in seed funding from General Catalyst and Andreessen Horowitz. The startup plans to deploy about 20 satellites with laser communications terminals to connect data centers, with an initial target of 2.4 terabits per second per link.
CEO Charlie Horowitz and CTO Tyler Presser say undersea fiber is brittle and difficult to repair. Existing space-to-ground laser links from York, Kepler, and Cailabs have reached only 2.5 Gbps. NASA used laser comms on its most recent Moon mission. EON aims for 2.4 Tbps per link.
For hyperscalers and AI labs that move large volumes of data, EON plans to sell dedicated capacity on routes like France to Australia and Africa to South America. The company will use redundant ground stations and weather data to keep links reliable. Builders should watch how EON handles atmospheric distortion, especially cloud cover, which is the biggest technical hurdle.
EON will use the seed round to build an optics lab, hire engineers, and run ground tests. The startup expects to launch a demo satellite around the end of 2027, with optical downlink of at least 800 Gbps and perhaps a terabit. If successful, that would be the highest optical downlink throughput yet seen.
What matters
- EON raised $10.75M from General Catalyst and a16z to build a space laser network.
- The approach gives builders an alternative to undersea fiber for intercontinental data.
- The demo satellite, targeted for 2027, aims for at least 800 Gbps optical downlink.
Why it matters
The demo satellite, targeted for 2027, aims for at least 800 Gbps optical downlink.
This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by TechCrunch AI. Source reference: https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/04/eon-wants-to-move-the-data-superhighway-from-ocean-fiber-to-space-lasers/.
Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.