Marble Imaging has emerged as one of Europe’s most promising space technology companies, developing an ambitious satellite constellation to deliver very high-resolution Earth observation data and analytics. Founded in August 2023 in Bremen, Germany’s aerospace hub, this innovative startup is addressing a critical capability gap in European Earth observation infrastructure whilst challenging the dominance of non-European data providers in the global market.
The Genesis of Marble Imaging
The story of Marble Imaging began in 2022 through a conversation between friends Alexander Epp and Robert Hook. Epp, working as a journalist at Germany’s biggest news magazine Der Spiegel, expressed his frustration with limited access to satellite imaging over Ukraine during the conflict. Hook, an aerospace engineer at OHB, immediately recognised the disconnect between robust space infrastructure development and end-user accessibility.
As the concept developed, Dr Raul Scarlat, a data scientist working alongside Hook, provided valuable insights into Earth observation technology from a user perspective. The trio recognised a significant market opportunity and decided to establish a business. Their vision attracted the attention of Dr Gopika Suresh, an Earth observation scientist working in the commercial sector, who joined the venture enthusiastically. This quartet of co-founders officially established Marble Imaging in August 2023, bringing together diverse expertise spanning journalism, aerospace engineering, data science, and Earth observation science.
Leadership and Founding Team
Robert Hook: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Robert Hook brings over 10 years of space systems experience to Marble Imaging, including more than five years managing major Earth observation programmes such as the Copernicus CO2M mission at OHB. His extensive background in satellite mission management and systems engineering provides the technical foundation for Marble’s ambitious constellation plans. Hook’s experience at OHB, one of Europe’s leading space technology companies, gives him deep understanding of both the capabilities and limitations of current Earth observation systems.
Dr Gopika Suresh: Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder
Dr Gopika Suresh holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Bremen and possesses over 10 years of expertise in Earth observation science, with particular focus on algorithm development and connecting instrument performance engineering with ground processing chains. Her academic background combined with commercial sector experience enables Marble Imaging to bridge the gap between cutting-edge science and practical market applications. Suresh’s expertise proves particularly valuable in developing the analytical tools and processing chains that transform raw satellite data into actionable insights for customers.
Dr Raul Scarlat: Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder
Dr Raul Scarlat brings a PhD in Geoscience from the University of Bremen alongside more than 13 years of Earth observation data science and analytics experience covering both SAR and multispectral imagery, including team leadership for Earth observation solutions in the private sector. His expertise in data processing, algorithm development, and commercial applications ensures Marble Imaging develops products that meet real-world user requirements rather than purely theoretical capabilities.
Alexander Epp: Chief Business Development Officer and Co-Founder
Alexander Epp contributes over 10 years of experience as a journalist at Germany’s biggest news magazine Der Spiegel, including utilisation of Earth observation data and data platforms alongside deep insight into current Earth observation solution providers. His unique perspective as an end user of Earth observation data, combined with his understanding of how information flows through media and business channels, helps Marble Imaging develop user-friendly solutions and effective market strategies.
Revolutionary Technology and Capabilities
Marble Imaging is developing a constellation of up to 200 small satellites designed to provide daily global coverage at unprecedented resolution levels. The company’s technological approach combines state-of-the-art space hardware with advanced artificial intelligence processing on the ground.
Satellite Specifications and Performance
The constellation aims to capture images at a remarkable resolution of 0.7 metres ground sampling distance in the visible and near infrared spectrum, eight metres in the short-wave infrared spectrum, and includes a panchromatic channel allowing pan sharpening of up to 0.5 metres ground sampling distance. These specifications place Marble Imaging’s planned constellation among the highest-resolution commercial Earth observation systems globally.
The satellites themselves weigh approximately 100 kilograms each, making them suitable for cost-effective launches on small satellite rideshare missions. This approach allows Marble Imaging to scale its constellation gradually whilst maintaining financial efficiency. The company partners with Reflex Aerospace for satellite platform development and Polish company Scanway for the advanced optical instruments that form the core imaging payload.
AI-Powered Data Processing
Marble Imaging employs AI-powered data processing algorithms optimised to maximise use cases and business insights for customers. The company recognises that raw satellite imagery alone provides limited value to most users. By applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to automatically detect objects, classify land cover, assess terrain characteristics, and identify changes over time, Marble Imaging transforms satellite data into ready-to-use intelligence.
Current analytical capabilities include object detection for situational intelligence, terrain analytics and trafficability assessment, coastal asset monitoring, and land cover classification. These tools already serve early customers and are being prepared for broad commercial rollout. The company continues expanding its analytical toolkit to address emerging customer requirements across defence, climate monitoring, infrastructure management, and business intelligence applications.
Comprehensive Funding Strategy
Marble Imaging has pursued a sophisticated funding strategy combining non-dilutive grants, competition prizes, anchor contracts, and venture capital investment. This diversified approach has provided the company with substantial resources whilst maintaining founder equity and strategic independence.
Non-Dilutive Funding and Competition Success
Marble Imaging secured more than €10 million in non-dilutive funding through the DLR Small Satellite Payload Competition and ESA InCubed programmes. These achievements demonstrate the company’s technical credibility and strategic alignment with European space priorities.
The DLR Small Satellite Payload Competition victory proved particularly significant, providing not only financial resources but also a free satellite platform and launch for Marble’s first demonstrator satellite. This competition success validated Marble Imaging’s technology approach and accelerated the constellation deployment timeline by eliminating major capital expenditure requirements for the initial satellite.
Additional non-dilutive funding came from regional development programmes. The company received €450,000 from BAB, the development bank for Bremen and Bremerhaven, to develop an easy-access Earth observation portal. Another €150,000 grant from the same institution supported development of the Precious Coast Information System, a coastal monitoring tool addressing specific market needs.
European Space Agency Anchor Contract
Marble Imaging signed a €3 million contract with the European Space Agency to provide very high-resolution data from its upcoming satellite constellation under the Copernicus Contributing Missions programme, with the first satellite set to launch in 2026. This three-year contract provides crucial revenue visibility and validates market demand for Marble’s planned data products.
Through this contract, ESA aims to assess the development of the company towards operational status, preparing Marble Imaging to become an established European data provider and enabling the company to participate in future Copernicus Contributing Missions data procurement tenders. This positions Marble Imaging as a strategic supplier to Europe’s flagship Earth observation programme, opening pathways to long-term government contracts.
Seed Funding Round
Marble Imaging raised €5.3 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round led by High-Tech Gründerfonds, exceeding initial targets and strengthening the company’s plan to scale operations, accelerate technology development, and advance satellite constellation build-out. The round attracted a strong consortium of European investors committed to supporting the development of sovereign European space capabilities.
Investors in the seed round included:
- High-Tech Gründerfonds (lead investor)
- BAB Beteiligungs- und Managementgesellschaft Bremen
- Lightfield Equity
- Oslo Venture Company
- Sentris Capital
- Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund
- SpaceFounders
- nwk | nwu Beteiligungsgesellschaften der Sparkasse Bremen
Due to being oversubscribed, not all interested investors could participate in this round, and Marble is preparing for a Series A round in the future to accelerate constellation build-out. This strong investor demand reflects growing recognition of the strategic importance of European Earth observation capabilities.
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Strategic Partnerships and Industry Collaborations
Marble Imaging has established partnerships with leading space technology companies and research institutions across Europe, creating a robust ecosystem supporting its ambitious constellation plans.
Reflex Aerospace Partnership
Marble Imaging partnered with Germany-based satellite manufacturer Reflex Aerospace, one of the few NewSpace companies capable of developing satellite platforms that outperform similar systems in terms of stability and pointing accuracy, enabling very high-resolution satellite imagery. Reflex Aerospace will build Marble’s satellites using advanced manufacturing techniques and streamlined design processes that deliver enhanced reliability and accelerated delivery times.
The partnership brings together Marble’s Earth observation expertise with Reflex’s satellite engineering capabilities. Reflex Aerospace operates facilities in Munich and Berlin, enabling close collaboration whilst maintaining Germany’s position as a European space technology hub.
Scanway Space Optical Payload Development
Marble Imaging plans to expand its constellation with Scanway as the key partner providing very high-resolution optical payloads following successful deployment of the first demonstrator satellite. Scanway, a Polish NewSpace company, specialises in developing advanced optical instruments for space applications and brings over seven years of experience in optical payload development.
The partnership strengthens European cooperation in Earth observation technology whilst ensuring Marble Imaging accesses world-class optical instruments. The demonstration satellite will be equipped with two optical instruments providing a ground sample distance of 80 centimetres in the visible and near-infrared bands, demonstrating the capabilities that will be deployed across the full constellation.
Rovsing Strategic Collaboration
Rovsing and Marble Imaging announced a strategic partnership aimed at developing joint services utilising Earth observation data, focusing on environmental applications including agriculture, marine, and coastal health monitoring, alongside security applications such as Arctic surveillance and critical infrastructure resilience. This collaboration aligns with both Danish and German national strategies for space and defence, addressing key priorities for each country.
Tenics Data Portal Development
The Dragoscope project, running until June 2026, will deliver the prototype for Marble’s geospatial data portal Kaleidoscope, allowing users to easily access public data alongside future Marble data and analytics. Bremen-based software company tenics brings expertise in flight software, ground segment solutions, and high-performance data platforms for satellites and space-based services.
The partnership addresses one of the most significant barriers to Earth observation adoption: data accessibility. By developing an intuitive portal with both graphical user interface and API access, Marble Imaging ensures that its high-resolution data reaches users who lack specialised remote sensing expertise.
European Space Ecosystem and Strategic Context
Marble Imaging’s development occurs against the backdrop of renewed European commitment to space capabilities and strategic autonomy. Recent policy developments and funding decisions create favourable conditions for the company’s growth.
ESA Ministerial Council 2025 Outcomes
The ESA Ministerial Council 2025 in Bremen saw member states approve a historic €22.1 billion budget for the next three years, with Germany increasing its contribution to more than €5 billion, making it the most prominent national backer of ESA programmes. This unprecedented funding level reflects European governments’ recognition that space capabilities represent critical infrastructure for security, climate action, and economic competitiveness.
The ministerial council outcomes validate Marble Imaging’s strategic positioning. Company leadership noted that this momentum highlights Europe’s heightened interest in sovereign space capabilities, particularly in domains where timely, very high-resolution data and AI-powered analytics are increasingly essential for climate modelling, security, crisis response, mobility management, and infrastructure oversight.
European Strategic Autonomy
Europe is heavily dependent on non-European Earth observation data providers, especially from the United States, and Marble Imaging aims to disrupt this dependency. The strategic implications of this dependency became apparent when political decisions affected data availability to certain users and regions.
By developing Europe’s first commercial very high-resolution satellite constellation with fully European technology and partnerships, Marble Imaging directly addresses strategic autonomy concerns. The company ensures that European governments, businesses, and research institutions can access critical Earth observation data without dependence on non-European providers potentially subject to foreign policy constraints or export restrictions.
Deployment Timeline and Constellation Build-Out
Marble Imaging follows an ambitious but achievable timeline for constellation deployment, balancing rapid progress with technical and financial prudence.
First Satellite Launch: 2026
The first Marble satellite, which will deliver very high-resolution multispectral data, is scheduled to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2026. This demonstrator satellite, nicknamed Morgana, will validate the company’s technology approach, test operational procedures, and begin delivering data to early customers under the ESA anchor contract.
The 2026 launch represents a critical milestone, demonstrating Marble Imaging’s ability to execute on its promises and transition from development to operational status. Success with the first satellite will provide crucial momentum for attracting additional customers and investors to support full constellation deployment.
Expansion to 20 Satellites by 2028
Marble Imaging plans to gradually expand its constellation to up to 20 satellites by the end of 2028. This phased approach allows the company to scale manufacturing, refine designs based on operational experience, and align capacity with growing customer demand.
A 20-satellite constellation will enable Marble Imaging to provide hourly revisit capability for areas of interest, dramatically improving on current very high-resolution systems that typically offer revisit times measured in days or weeks. This temporal resolution unlocks new applications in time-sensitive domains including disaster response, security monitoring, and rapid change detection.
Long-Term Vision: 200 Satellite Constellation
Marble Imaging aims to build a constellation of up to 200 small satellites to become the leading European Earth observation company capturing images of the entire planet every day in very high resolution. This ambitious long-term vision positions the company to compete with major global Earth observation providers whilst maintaining European ownership and control.
A 200-satellite constellation would provide unparalleled coverage and revisit capability, enabling applications that current systems cannot support. The phased build-out approach reduces financial risk whilst providing flexibility to adapt constellation design based on technological advances and evolving market requirements.
Technical Advantages and Innovation
Marble Imaging’s technology approach incorporates several innovations that differentiate its planned constellation from competing systems.
Dual-Instrument Payload Architecture
The envisioned dual-instrument solution aims to maximise synergies with the European Copernicus programme. By including both visible/near-infrared and short-wave infrared imaging capabilities, Marble satellites provide richer data enabling more sophisticated analysis. Short-wave infrared proves particularly valuable for applications including moisture detection, mineral identification, and seeing through haze or smoke.
On-Board Processing and Edge Computing
The first Marble satellite will share its platform with IABG Innovation Center’s RAISE system, an on-board AI computing cluster customised for robust and safe autonomous space applications. The ability to apply machine learning methods directly at the sensor and the edge in a robust and safe way is key to handling big data and enabling autonomous functions in the challenging and complex space environment.
On-board processing reduces downlink bandwidth requirements by transmitting only relevant processed data rather than raw imagery. This approach enables near-real-time alerts for time-sensitive applications whilst reducing ground segment costs.
Optimised Ground Sampling Distance
The combination of 0.5-metre pan-sharpened resolution with broader spectral coverage provides an optimal balance between spatial detail and spectral information content. This specification addresses specific customer requirements identified through market research and early customer engagement.
Future Outlook and Strategic Opportunities
Marble Imaging operates in a market characterised by strong secular growth drivers and increasing recognition of Earth observation data as strategic infrastructure.
Growing Defence and Security Demand
Geopolitical tensions and renewed focus on European strategic autonomy drive increased government spending on Earth observation capabilities. European defence budgets are expanding, with significant portions allocated to space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Marble Imaging’s European credentials and very high-resolution focus position the company well to capture share of this growing market.
Climate Action Imperative
Governments and businesses face mounting pressure to address climate change through both mitigation and adaptation strategies. Earth observation data provides essential tools for measuring progress, identifying risks, and guiding interventions. As climate commitments translate into concrete action plans and regulatory requirements, demand for frequent, high-resolution monitoring will accelerate.
Commercial Market Expansion
Beyond government customers, commercial applications of Earth observation data continue expanding. Insurance companies use satellite data for risk assessment and claims processing. Agricultural businesses optimise operations using precision farming techniques. Infrastructure companies monitor assets and plan maintenance. Financial institutions incorporate Earth observation into investment analysis and ESG reporting. These commercial markets remain substantially underpenetrated, offering significant growth opportunities.
Technology Evolution
Advances in artificial intelligence, edge computing, and satellite technology create opportunities for Marble Imaging to enhance capabilities and reduce costs over time. As the company scales its constellation, it can incorporate technological improvements in later satellite builds, maintaining competitive advantages whilst benefiting from economies of scale in manufacturing and operations.