From Outback to Orbit

• Superfast laser-based internet is expanding into Japan and Australia as 500-backed Transcelestial raises US$5.7M, led by NTT Finance, the financial arm of Japan’s leading telecom conglomerate, and Australian venture firm Paspalis Capital.
• In Japan, Transcelestial aims to address the nation’s unique challenges posed by natural disasters. By deploying the CENTAURI laser communication system, Japan will gain a resilient, rapidly deployable solution for disaster recovery, national security, and space exploration. Early discussions are also underway with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on a space program.
• In Australia, the team will focus on three core areas: breaking through Australia’s remote connectivity barriers with lasers, upgrading defense assets with ground-to-drone laser capabilities, and pioneering the country’s first laser-based gateway to space communications.
• Co-founder & CEO Rohit Jha shared that Transcelestial is on track to double or triple their current network this year while also expanding into two other areas: defence communications and space-based networks.
• Rohit also revealed that the company is planning to raise their Series B round in the second half of 2025, which will fund scale-up efforts across all three of their business lines.
• “The goal with Series B is to grow our space and defence divisions — specialist products, team expansion, and continued development of our orbital mesh network,” he explained. “We’re also looking at a potential nationwide rollout with a major telco in the US, which would need significant team buildout.”
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