Mbryonics, based in Galway, Ireland, and led by chief executive John Mackey, builds optical communication terminals that use lasers to link satellites with each other and with ground stations, and says it is the only provider able to handle all optical communication standards. In March 2024 the EIC Accelerator approved a €17.5 million package for the company, a €2.5 million grant and a recommended €15 million equity investment, to build a manufacturing, assembly and test facility for optics and photonics in the west of Ireland, according to RTÉ. The grant project, StarCom OISL, received €2,499,999 towards a total cost of €3,714,063 and ran from May 2024 to April 2026, according to CORDIS.
In April 2026 the European Space Agency selected Mbryonics' StarCom terminal and ground station test bed for in-orbit interoperability demonstrations in a team led by Kepler Communications, under an €18.6 million award in Element 3 of its HydRON optical network programme, according to Mbryonics. The company is also building Photon 2, a 40,000 square foot second factory in Shannon that it says will produce thousands of terminals by 2027. No in-orbit laser link by a StarCom terminal has been publicly reported.
Company file
- Legal entity
- Mbryonics Limited, Galway
- CEO
- John Mackey
- Products
- StarCom terminal, StarGate ground station, StarLight, TeraBIX, PakPIC
- Programmes
- ESA HydRON, DARPA Space-BACN
- Factories
- Galway; Photon 2 in Shannon under construction
- Partner
- Kepler Communications
- EIC funding
- Blended finance, €2.5M grant plus up to €15M equity
Where Mbryonics Stands Now
Mbryonics says it contributed optical testbed facilities to HydRON's second element before being chosen for the third, and Mackey cited its work on the US defence research agency DARPA's Space-BACN programme, which aims to let satellites from different providers communicate. The company announced the Shannon factory to keep up with what it described as rapidly increasing demand in Europe and the US. Its customers and revenue have not been disclosed, and its accounts were not accessible in free sources.
"The internet was built by making different networks talk to each other, and that's exactly what we're enabling in space."
John Mackey, CEO, April 2026The Technology: Terabit Links in Orbit
The project report says today's space laser terminals reach about 2 gigabits per second, already 80 times more than a Ka-band radio terminal, and that Mbryonics has developed hardware for an end-to-end, fibre-coupled system designed for terabit-per-second networks. Its approach combines photonic integrated circuits packaged with electronics, a low-mass freeform optical telescope and designs for mass production, according to CORDIS.
What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows
StarCom OISL promised a mass-producible optical inter-satellite link for low Earth orbit constellations. The project report says the hardware was developed, and ESA has chosen the terminal for in-orbit tests. What the record does not yet show is a terminal operating in orbit or series production.
- Terminal hardwareDevelopedProject report.
- In-orbit demonstrationSelectedESA HydRON, 2026.
- Series manufacturingFactory buildingPhoton 2.
- Named constellation customersUnverifiedNone disclosed.
The Money
The EIC's support was mostly equity: €15 million recommended on top of the €2.5 million grant. Whether and when the equity was invested has not been announced. The ESA HydRON award of €18.6 million goes to the whole Kepler-led team; Mbryonics' share is not public.
What Cannot Be Checked
Questions for the EIC
How much EIC equity was actually invested, what Mbryonics' revenue is, which satellite operators have bought StarCom, and when the first terminal will fly are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
ESA says HydRON will be the world's first multi-orbital optical network with terabit-per-second capacity. A European maker of interoperable laser terminals gives Europe its own supplier for secure, high-capacity space links, and Mbryonics is building the factory to supply them from Ireland.
What the award promised
A mass-producible laser terminal for satellite constellations.
What the record shows
Hardware developed, an ESA demonstration role and a factory under way.
The Verdict
Promising, awaiting orbit
Mbryonics has the backing and the demonstration slot. The proof will be a StarCom link working in space.
Mbryonics and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.
