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Axios
6 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Exclusive: Xona tallies $92 million as it sends Pulsar-0 to space
Satellite navigation startup Xona Space Systems secured $92 million in new funding, the company told Axios on the heels of its successful Pulsar-0 launch. Why it matters: The modern world would crumble without solid location-and-timing data. Militaries need it. Financial markets need it. A trip to the grocery store needs it. State of play: Xona is targeting automotive, logistics, mining and defense industries, among many others, with its satellite-based positioning, navigation and timing services. The company's planned low-Earth orbit constellation is expected to augment existing GPS until it becomes a standalone source of information. It inked a $4.6 million demonstration contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory earlier this year. Threat level: The U.S. advantage in space is thinning. Plus, Russia's jamming and spoofing efforts scramble signals beyond Ukraine's frontlines. In one high-profile case, Finnair suspended flights to Tartu, Estonia, due to interference. Pilots reported issues near the Black and Caspian seas as well as Kaliningrad. What they're saying: " Navigation and timing are systems the world isn't supposed to think about. They're just supposed to work," Xona chief executive Brian Manning said in a blog post shared with Axios. "When they fail, everything around them will too."
Irish Post
18-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Post
Frozen bakery company Golden Bake unveils new state-of-the-art facility following €10m investment
LEADING Irish frozen bakery brand Golden Bake has unveiled a new state-of-the-art production facility in Coolock, Co. Dublin. The €10m investment marks a significant milestone for the company, which was founded in Dublin in 1987. As well as increasing Golden Bake's workforce, the development will also enhance production capacity and drive sustainability. "I wish to congratulate Golden Bake on their state-of-the-art facility expansion and commend their ambition to compete at the highest level, supplying to some of the largest retailers across the country," said Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. "This government, through Enterprise Ireland, is committed to supporting companies like Golden Bake to increase their level of innovation, improve their competitiveness and expand their global footprint, with the goal of delivering both export growth and increased job numbers. "I look forward to hearing about Golden Bake's continued success as they expand in the future." Legacy Golden Bake is Ireland's leading producer of premium frozen bakery products, including sausage rolls, cookies, puff pastry crowns and its iconic Jambons. The company also supplies a large proportion of Ireland's hot deli counters, cafés, restaurants and bars. The expansion signifies the company's commitment to sustainability, helping it reduce annual CO₂ emissions by 57.6 tonnes through more eco-friendly packaging. This initiative aligns with Golden Bake's broader sustainability strategy, ensuring both operational efficiency and ecological responsibility. As part of the expansion, Golden Bake has increased its workforce from 110 to 135 employees, reflecting the company's continued success and market demand. The company plans to extend its range of products later this year The unveiling of the new facility also celebrated the remarkable legacy of Golden Bake's founder, Brian Manning, who started the company 38 years ago. "Golden Bake is a fantastic company and we have achieved success since 1987 as a result of the team we have in place," said CEO Robin Jones. "Brian built very solid foundations for the business and we are currently enjoying the benefits of that. "We plan to continue to grow capacity and jobs while also reducing our carbon footprint." 'Ambitious growth plans' Speaking at this week's unveiling, Kevin Sherry, Interim CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said the new site would allow Golden Bake to continue creating innovative products for an expanding global market. "Golden Bake is a shining example of an Irish company with strong European growth prospects and the potential for further expansion," he said. "This investment in this new production facility demonstrates Golden Bake's highly innovative culture which has allowed the company to grow its reputation both domestically and internationally in frozen bakery products. "At Enterprise Ireland, we know that innovation is crucial for Irish companies to effectively compete on a national and global scale. "We are delighted to support Golden Bake's commitment to innovation and look forward to continuing to support the ambitious growth plans for the business." Golden Bake recently rebranded its Bake At Home / bakeable range and later this year plans to extend its range of branded Bake At Home cookie products in major retailers. See More: Coolock, Dublin, Enterprise Ireland, Golden Bake, Peter Burke
Associated Press
11-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Xona Space Systems Announces Collaboration with Trimble to Deliver Next-Gen Navigation Services
Collaboration is Poised to Deliver Reliable, High-Precision Navigation Anywhere on Earth BURLINGAME, Calif. and WESTMINSTER, Colo., March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Xona Space Systems (Xona), a leading pioneer of advanced commercial satellite navigation solutions announces a new collaboration with Trimble® (Nasdaq: TRMB), a global leader in construction, transportation and geospatial technology. Xona and Trimble are pursuing the integration of Trimble correction services with Xona's PULSAR™ high-performance navigation service. Initial satellite launches are expected in late 2026 with service starting in 2027 through the PULSAR satellite network, enabling secure, high-precision positioning for applications ranging from geospatial to low-power mass mobile and IoT. In support of this new and developing collaboration, Xona has received an investment from Trimble Ventures. Xona PULSAR, powered by Xona's planned network of small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), is being developed to deliver powerful and secure high-precision positioning and navigation services directly to current GNSS hardware. The PULSAR service, which will include high precision correction services through this collaboration, has the potential to provide scalable, cost-effective solutions for industries with demanding positioning and navigation requirements, such as civil construction, surveying and mapping, and automotive and IoT applications. Xona's signals are also expected to enable operations inside low-rise buildings, as well as improve resistance to jamming and interference compared to current GNSS capabilities. Precision positioning solutions from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations are intended to provide new enhanced capabilities along with high levels of uptime to meet the rapidly evolving needs of industries around the world. The inclusion of Trimble correction services with Xona PULSAR is expected to enhance the reliability of Trimble correction services delivery, which is crucial for users in areas without reliable cell coverage, limited sky visibility environments, including high-latitude regions and other challenging geographies. Xona Space Systems' co-founder and CEO, Brian Manning, stated, 'Trimble's experience and track record in high-integrity precision navigation is world class. We are thrilled to work towards combining the knowledge and capabilities of Trimble and Xona, to deliver unmatched performance to customers in the future through our PULSAR next-gen position, navigation, and timing (PNT) service.' Manning continued, 'By integrating Trimble correction services with Xona PULSAR, customers can expect to have affordable access to the centimeter precision they need without constant cellular data streaming, worrying about cellular dead zones or the need for additional satcom hardware.' Trimble's Vice President of Advanced Positioning, Olivier Casabianca, echoed this sentiment, stating: 'Our collaboration with Xona demonstrates our commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation. The combination of Trimble correction services with Xona PULSAR has the potential to create a seamless, scalable solution that meets the evolving needs of industries reliant on precise satellite navigation.' About Xona Xona is a provider of navigation solutions aimed at enabling modern technologies to operate safely and efficiently in any environment, anywhere on Earth. Xona PULSAR™ delivers the security and precision needed for autonomous operations from a network of cutting-edge small satellites, to form the backbone of the next generation of navigation technologies. Learn more at and connect with us via LinkedIn, or X @XonaSpace. About Trimble Trimble is transforming the ways people move, build and live. Core technologies in positioning, modeling and data analytics connect the digital and physical worlds to improve our customers' productivity, quality, safety, transparency and sustainability. For more information about Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB), visit: Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made in this press release are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, and actual events and results may differ materially from those described. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the terms of, and timing for entering into, a definitive agreement for the proposed collaboration, if at all; the timing and ability to deploy a network of LEO satellites and make available PULSAR positioning and navigation services on a commercially viable basis; the capabilities of such services, if or when they become available; and whether the parties will be successful in integrating Trimble correctional signals. All forward looking statements are based on information available to Trimble as of the date hereof, and Trimble assumes no obligation to update any such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Xona Secures $4.65M Contract with AFRL to Demonstrate Capabilities of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) GPS Alternative in Commercial User Equipment
Partners including StarNav, Locus Lock and QinetiQ will test and analyze capabilities such as jamming resiliency, increased security, and urban advantages BURLINGAME, Calif., Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Xona Space Systems (Xona), the company developing a high-performance complementary alternative to GPS, announced today that it has secured a contract with Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to demonstrate and mature resilient commercial PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing) solutions for DoD missions. This award, granted through the Space Technology Advanced Research – Fast-tracking Innovative Software and Hardware (STAR-FISH) program, brings Xona's total signed contracts to over $20 million to date. Through this contract, Xona will demonstrate key performance aspects of its PULSAR™ high-performance satellite navigation service on multiple commercial user devices and in a variety of scenarios, including where GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Signals (GNSS) may be challenged or denied. Testing will include demonstrations of jamming and spoofing resilience, multipath effect reduction, and security key distribution. This effort will accelerate the readiness of advanced alt-PNT capabilities in commercial off-the-shelf user equipment to meet DoD user needs with rapid acquisition times. As part of this contract Xona has partnered with several leading GPS/GNSS user equipment providers with the ability to rapidly manufacture and deploy PULSAR enabled devices. Partners who will be demonstrating performance of their devices with the PULSAR service as part of this contract include QinetiQ, StarNav, and Locus Lock. "The technology in modern GNSS user equipment is incredibly advanced these days, and capable of very high-performance if you can provide it a high-performance signal," said Brian Manning, Xona CEO & Co-Founder. "This contract is enabling us to demonstrate not only the advanced capabilities these receivers can achieve with the PULSAR service, but also the utility of combining mass produced hardware with a securely controlled PNT service to support anything from small drones to large DoD systems." This multi-year award will feature Xona's advanced simulation capabilities along with demonstrations using the first PULSAR satellite that is scheduled to launch in June 2025. About Xona Space Systems Xona Space Systems is developing the most accurate and secure commercial satellite navigation service on the planet. Delivered via high-power signals that provide 20x more accuracy with unmatched protection, Xona's patented PULSAR™ service is built on an innovative architecture that will power the next generation of GPS-enabled technology worldwide. Xona is backed by Toyota Ventures, Future Ventures, NGP Capital and Lockheed Martin. Learn more at or connect with us via LinkedIn, or X @XonaSpace. About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit About QinetiQ QinetiQ is an integrated global defence and security company focused on mission-led innovation. It employs more than 8,500 highly-skilled people, committed to creating new ways of protecting what matters most; testing technologies, systems, and processes to make sure they meet operational needs; and enabling customers to deploy new and enhanced capabilities with the assurance they will deliver the performance required. About Locus Lock Locus Lock specializes in developing advanced software-defined GNSS receiver technology. Locus Lock's technology provides accurate, reliable, and secure PNT in a market that increasingly demands cost-effective solutions. For more information, visit: About StarNav StarNav produces receivers enabling safe, reliable positioning and timing. StarNav's products convert terrestrial and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite signals into reliable positioning and timing information, working even when GPS fails. StarNav's core product is a multi-frequency multi-source receiver that can be configured to use both GNSS and non-GNSS signals. Learn more at or follow StarNav on LinkedIn @StarNav. If you have any questions, please contact info@ Contact:Janel Steinberg310-994-9818390686@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Xona Space Systems Sign in to access your portfolio
