London, United Kingdom - 1 October 2026 - Foundational, the London-based space technology company automating and scaling Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), has emerged from stealth with £8.2 million in pre-seed funding, the largest pre-seed round of any European space technology company to date. Its technology delivers ultra-precise information on the location of satellites and debris. Participants in the round include Final Frontier, alongside BACKED, Inflection, Adjacent and Type One Ventures.

Founded in 2025 by CEO Hira Virdee and CTO Dave Gooding, Foundational builds on laser-ranging technology originally developed at Lumi Space, which Virdee founded in 2018 with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency. Foundational combines satellite-mounted retroreflectors, automated eye-safe ground stations and a software platform into a single system. The company delivers millimetre-level ranging precision at 10–30x lower cost than legacy stations. The technology is already operational, with 16 retroreflectors in orbit across three product lines, a further 60 awaiting launch and hundreds more under discussion with prospective customers. Customers and partners include operators of multiple low Earth orbit satellite constellations, ESA and multiple UK government departments and agencies.

The need for precise tracking is growing. ESA's 2026 Space Environment Report recorded around 45,000 objects tracked in orbit at the end of 2025, with an estimated 1.5 million pieces of debris measuring between 1cm and 10cm, increasing the risk of collisions. Operators need to know with ever greater precision where objects are and how their trajectories are changing.

The funding will be used to expand Foundational's ground-station network, vertically integrate its manufacturing of space-based hardware, scale up production of its retroreflector products and further develop its data platform.

"Every time you tap your card, check your map or make a phone call, you're relying on satellite infrastructure - but the technology we use to track exactly where satellites are hasn't kept up with the explosion of the space economy. Satellite Laser Ranging is the gold standard, and is one of the most precise measurement tools humanity has built, capable of pinpointing a satellite to within millimetres, but until now it's been too costly and too complex to use at scale. Foundational is changing that. By bringing the hardware, ground network and data platform together under one roof, we're rebuilding a critical layer of space infrastructure for the commercial era. This investment lets us expand our global network, putting precision positioning data in the hands of satellite operators and governments worldwide, and laying the groundwork for new data products that will benefit life here on Earth," said Hira Virdee, CEO and Co-Founder, Foundational.

"You cannot defend, insure or safely operate what you cannot precisely locate. Foundational is taking a proven measurement technology out of a handful of specialist facilities and turning it into a scalable, commercial network. We are proud to back Hira, Dave and their team as they build critical space infrastructure that Europe can depend on," said Niels Vejrup Carlsen, Founding Partner, Final Frontier.

About Foundational

Founded in 2025, Foundational is a London-based space technology company developing infrastructure for a more precise understanding of Earth and orbit. The company is automating and scaling Satellite Laser Ranging to provide highly precise satellite positioning data at global scale. By combining ground-based laser stations, space-based retroreflectors and a software platform for processing and delivering data, Foundational is building a commercial network designed to support the next generation of space traffic control, resilient navigation, and Earth observation.

About Final Frontier

A New Nordic VC fund backing the founders defending European autonomy and national security. The fund was founded by former Seed Capital GP Niels Vejrup Carlsen. The €4.5 million first fund was closed in May 2025 supported by investors and industry leaders including former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. In September 2026, Final Frontier joined forces with Myriad Defence and is now targeting €100 million for Final Frontier Fund II. The fund will back pre-seed and seed stage defence tech across all domains, including space. It will invest in the New Nordics, Ukraine and the rest of Europe, with a first close targeted by the end of the year.

Contact

Foundational
For international media enquiries please contact
Kit Beilby / Emily Chapman
kit@deliberate-pr.com / emily.chapman@deliberate-pr.com
www.foundational.space

Final Frontier
Martin Majercin @ Founding Member, Platform
media@finalfrontier.vc
www.finalfrontier.vc