WASHINGTON — Merging satellite operators SES and Intelsat independently invested in direct-to-device venture Lynk Global without knowing about the other’s decision.
“This really is coincidental,” Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras told SpaceNews March 10, hours after SES announced its strategic partnership with Lynk Global at the Satellite Conference here.
“We were completely independent of SES, and we had our own analysis and our own logic,” Wajsgras said. “The two companies are going through integration planning, but there’s certain things that we cannot talk about and we don’t talk about.”
Neither company has disclosed how much they invested in Lynk Global’s ongoing Series B round, which had raised more than $85 million of a $215 million target as of Feb. 11.
Wajsgras said Intelsat started partnership talks with Lynk Global at least two years ago, while SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said SES made its investment after about a year of discussions.
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Similar to SES, Intelsat sees an opportunity to help bring Lynk Global’s technology to government and mobility customers worldwide. The operator is also looking to collaborate on new small satellites with the low Earth orbit (LEO) venture, exploring ways to expand connectivity from intermittent texting and SOS alerts to voice and data services globally.
Under the investment agreement, Intelsat acquired a minority equity stake in Lynk Global, and its chief technology officer, Bruno Fromont, joined the venture’s board of directors.
In November, Ramu Potarazu, a former Intelsat executive, became Lynk Global’s CEO as the company moved forward with plans to merge with a publicly listed shell company to fund its constellation growth.
Lynk Global has deployed five satellites so far to provide connectivity beyond the reach of cell towers in partnership with telcos, but has plans for 5,000 in total to expand globally and reduce latency.
SES also plans to leverage its fleet in medium Earth orbit to relay signals from Lynk Global’s satellites to enhance the service.
Intelsat and SES said their $3.1 billion merger remains on track to close in the second half of this year, pending regulatory approvals.