Xona’s long-term plan is to build a constellation of roughly 258 satellites to offer a commercial alternative to government GPS networks. The company argues that publicly funded GPS systems are costly, complex, and too exposed to spoofing and jamming. Pulsar aims to deliver centimeter-level precision, jamming resistance, and the ability to reach receivers indoors, with signals that are 100 times more powerful than legacy GPS.
Steve Jurvetson, cofounder and managing director of Future Ventures, led the round, which also included participation from undisclosed new and existing investors. In August, Xona became the first commercial GPS constellation to win FCC approval to broadcast L-band signals. Next year, the company plans to test its integrations with Army, Navy, and Air Force assets.
CEO Brian Manning said government interest has risen following increased jamming and spoofing vulnerability seen in places like the Strait of Hormuz, where interference has disrupted navigation for more than 2,000 ships. Demand is coming from multiple directions, he said. “On the commercial side, we’re seeing strong demand signals across all types of innovations in autonomous vehicles and robotics, aviation, and critical infrastructure,” Manning said. He added that the company is on track to begin serving early commercial users with a timing service next year.
The announcement follows a series of recent moves. Xona received $15M CDN, roughly $10.7M, from Canada to expand operations in Montreal, Quebec, and launched six Pulsar satellites on SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission. The six satellites include four modified Pulsar-0 satellites, built with help from Aerospacelab, and two Pulsar Test Satellites designed and manufactured by Xona in-house. The launch represents the first stage of Pulsar’s full commercial positioning, navigation, and timing constellation, with the four Aerospacelab-built satellites beginning service and the two test satellites validating the in-house design before full production.
Xona plans to use the new capital to catalyze its output and has spent much of 2026 preparing for a capacity increase. In April, the company opened a new production facility in Burlingame, California, and this month announced the hiring of Waymo veteran Patrick Cadariu as COO to lead the production ramp. “We’re moving from development into repeatable satellite production, with a goal of reaching capacity to produce 50 satellites annually by the end of 2027,” Manning said.
The company frames GPS as a critical capability underpinning much of the modern economy, and positions Pulsar as a more secure, more precise alternative to legacy networks exposed to interference. Manning tied the uptick in government interest directly to recent jamming and spoofing events affecting maritime navigation.
Xona plans to test its integrations with Army, Navy, and Air Force assets next year and expects to begin serving early commercial users with a timing service in the same period. The company targets a production capacity of 50 satellites annually by the end of 2027, the year it aims to begin full service.
