TUSK IC, an Antwerp-based fabless semiconductor company spun out of KU Leuven, has raised €15 million in a Series A round to move its Ka-band satellite beamformer chips from prototype into high-volume production. The round was led by Matterwave Ventures, FORWARD.one and the Flanders Future Tech Fund, managed by PMV.
What the company does
TUSK IC designs chips for satellite communication. Founded in 2018 as a spin-out of KU Leuven’s mmWave research group, the company began by making radio-frequency chips for automotive radar and industrial sensing before moving into satellite hardware in 2022. It does not own a factory. Like other fabless chip companies, it designs the chips and has them manufactured by outside foundries.
Its main product line, sold under the name ConnectKa, is a set of beamformer chips and a low-noise amplifier for Ka-band satellite links. These chips sit inside the flat-panel antennas used in satellite user terminals, the equipment that lets a home, vehicle or ship connect to a satellite. TUSK IC builds its chips on standard CMOS manufacturing processes rather than the specialty materials, such as SiGe, that most of the sector uses today. The company says this keeps costs and power use down while matching the performance of existing designs, which it argues will make satellite connectivity easier to scale.
The round
TUSK IC has closed a €15 million Series A round, according to EU-Startups. The round was led by Matterwave Ventures, FORWARD.one and the Flanders Future Tech Fund, which is managed by PMV. The Schaubroeck family also took part, alongside existing investors in the company.
Silviu Apostu, Partner at Matterwave Ventures, said: “The future of connectivity will be determined not only by the constellations in orbit, but also by the technologies that make high-performance user terminals scalable and affordable on the ground. TUSK IC combines leading-edge mmWave innovation with the economics and scalability of standard CMOS, addressing a critical bottleneck in satellite communications. We believe this positions the company to underpin a more diverse and resilient space-based communications infrastructure.”
TUSK IC says it will use the funding to move its Ka-band beamformer chips from prototype into high-volume production and to grow sales of the ConnectKa line. The round follows a contract earlier in 2026 from the European Space Agency, backed by the Belgian science policy office BELSPO, under ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme. The company is also working with an unnamed satellite equipment manufacturer to integrate its beamformer technology into a new electronically steered array antenna.
Frequently asked questions
What does TUSK IC do?
TUSK IC is an Antwerp-based fabless semiconductor company that designs Ka-band beamformer chips for satellite communications, sold under the name ConnectKa. It also makes chips for automotive radar and industrial sensing.
Who invested in TUSK IC?
The €15 million Series A round was led by Matterwave Ventures, FORWARD.one and the Flanders Future Tech Fund, managed by PMV. The Schaubroeck family and existing investors also took part.
What will TUSK IC use the funding for?
TUSK IC says it will use the money to move its Ka-band beamformer chips from prototype into high-volume production and to grow sales of its ConnectKa chip line.
