SATLANTIS MICROSATS SA

Their core work

SATLANTIS is a Spanish space technology SME specialising in compact imaging systems for small satellites. Their core product — the iSIM (Integrated Standard Imager) — is a miniaturised, standardised camera designed specifically for Earth observation microsatellites, reducing the size, cost, and complexity of optical payloads. They developed this product through the EU SME Instrument, progressing from feasibility study (Phase 1) to full market-ready development (Phase 2). Their work sits at the intersection of space optics, miniaturisation engineering, and the commercial NewSpace industry.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both H2020 projects carry the same title and target the same product (iSIM), meaning SATLANTIS used the EU SME Instrument exactly as designed: Phase 1 to validate the concept (2015–2016, €50k), then Phase 2 to build and commercialise it (2017–2020, €1.67M). There is no pivot or shift in focus — this is a single-product company on a deliberate development trajectory. The evolution is one of maturity and scale, not direction: from technical feasibility to market-ready hardware.

SATLANTIS is on a product commercialisation path — their H2020 history represents a complete SME Instrument journey, and any future collaboration would likely involve integrating or deploying iSIM technology rather than basic research.

How they like to work

SATLANTIS ran both projects as sole coordinator with no consortium partners — a pattern typical of the SME Instrument, which funds individual companies rather than consortia. This means they are a self-contained technology developer, not a habitual consortium builder. Anyone looking to partner with them would be engaging a product company seeking integration partners, distributors, or mission operators — not a classical research partner looking to share workpackages.

SATLANTIS has no recorded consortium partners in their H2020 history, which reflects the solo-applicant nature of the SME Instrument rather than isolation. Their geographic footprint in terms of collaborative projects is currently limited to Spain.

What sets them apart

SATLANTIS is one of very few European SMEs that has taken a standardised imaging product specifically through the full EU SME Instrument cycle — from feasibility to funded development — in the competitive space sector. Their value proposition is a ready-made, cost-efficient optical payload that microsatellite manufacturers can adopt without building imaging capability in-house. For a consortium needing a credible, funded space hardware SME from Spain's Basque Country tech ecosystem, they offer a concrete product rather than research-stage expertise.

Highlights from their portfolio

• iSIM (Phase 2)
  The largest single grant in their portfolio (€1.67M, 2017–2020) and the full-scale development of their flagship product, representing the most substantive evidence of their technical and commercial maturity.
• iSIM (Phase 1)
  The successful Phase 1 feasibility study (2015–2016) that unlocked the Phase 2 award, confirming independent EU validation of the iSIM concept's commercial viability.