The UK has joined Eutelsat’s capital raise effort, contributing 163.3 million euros as part of a broader initiative totaling 1.5 billion euros. This move, which sees Bharti Space committing an additional 150 million euros, enhances Eutelsat’s capacity to compete against Elon Musk’s Starlink service in the emerging satellite communications arena. The investment structure includes a Reserved Capital Increase (RCI), which is set to be finalized by the end of 2025.
Eutelsat’s latest funding round accumulates support from France and other stakeholders, positioning the French State to hold a 29.65 percent stake post-investment. Bharti Space, the UK Government, CMA CGM, and FSP are projected to control 17.88 percent, 10.89 percent, 7.46 percent, and 4.99 percent, respectively. Currently, Bharti Space holds just over a 24 percent stake in Eutelsat.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for further international cooperation, specifically targeting investments from nations including India, Canada, and Brazil, as a joint strategy to bolster alliances in the satellite sector. The competition in the skies has intensified, positioning Eutelsat as Europe’s answer to Starlink, which has recently made strides toward offering services in India after receiving licensing approval.
Eutelsat announced that the RCI would include a significant portion of the total raised, with contributions from various entities. The French State will inject 551 million euros, while other amounts include 90 million euros from the UK Government, 100 million euros from CMA CGM, and 57 million euros from FSP. Following this, the Rights Issue is anticipated to raise an additional 672 million euros.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Co-Chairman of Eutelsat Group, emphasized the growing demand from governments for reliable connectivity solutions, noting that Eutelsat is poised to meet this need through its OneWeb platform, the first comprehensive low-Earth orbit constellation. This capital boost will enable Eutelsat to accelerate the development of new technologies and services under the guidance of its new CEO, Jean-François Fallacher.
Both Mittal and Macron highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts among key strategic partners to support Eutelsat as a leading player in the global space sector. Fallacher noted that space has become a crucial sovereign asset and underscored the necessity for ongoing cooperation among countries.
“We remain committed to the UK, which we consider as one of our home markets, and we aim to support the development of OneWeb to cater to the needs of all our sovereign and commercial stakeholders,” Fallacher stated.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/business/united-kingdom-joins-france-in-contemplated-capital-increase-in-eutelsat/28771/
Category: Business,Eutelsat,The UK
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Publish Date: 2025-07-12 10:43:00
