Kymeta

Kymeta Corporation is a satellite communications company based in the United States. It was founded in August 2012 after spinning out from Intellectual Ventures and manufactures software-enabled, meta-materials based electronic beamforming antennas and terminals for satellite communications.^[1]

Kymeta Corporation

Company type	Private company
Industry	Satellite communications
Founded	August 12, 2012
Founder	Nathan Kundtz
Headquarters	Redmond, Washington U.S
Area served	World
Key people	Nicole Piasecki (Chair of the Board) Rick Bergman (President and CEO)
Products	Kymeta Hawk u8 Kymeta Goshawk u8 Kymeta Osprey u8 Kymeta Peregrine u8 Kymeta Connectivity Kymeta Access
Number of employees	275 (2022)
Website	www.kymetacorp.com

In March 2017, Kymeta announced commercial availability of its first products, the mTenna^U7 antenna subsystem module (ASM) and KyWay terminal, which are the first metamaterials-based products to be successfully commercialized.^[2] Kymeta partnered with Intelsat to offer KĀLO satellite services, which can be bundled with all Kymeta products. As of October 2018, the company has raised nearly $200 million in funding from various investors including Bill Gates and Lux Capital.^[3]

In November 2020, Kymeta unveiled its next-generation products and services, the u8. The Kymeta u8 consumes approximately 130 W of power, which can be supplied by most vehicles. The u8 antenna can withstand extreme environmental conditions, with operational temperatures of -40 °C to +70 °C while operating.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2022, Kymeta announced three new product brands for the u8 terminal: the Hawk u8, Goshawk u8, and Osprey u8.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2023, Kymeta launched the Hawk u8 LEO product built for the OneWeb network. In June 2023, they launched the Peregrine u8 for maritime solutions also on the OneWeb LEO network.

Technology

Metamaterial Surface Antenna Technology (MSAT) is an innovative approach in satellite communications, developed by Kymeta Corporation. MSAT aims to overcome challenges in broadband satellite communications, especially in scenarios involving mobile platforms and non-geostationary satellites.

An important innovation in MSAT is the incorporation of high-birefringence liquid crystals (LC) as a tunable dielectric at microwave frequencies. This enables large-angle beam scanning of over 60 degrees while consuming minimal power, less than 10 Watts. Significantly, this scanning capability is achieved without mechanical components. The antenna's slim profile, with a thickness of about 5.0 cm, further contributes to its efficiency.

In terms of antenna design, MSAT introduces an innovative perspective by using metasurfaces and holographic beamforming principles. Unlike traditional three-dimensional metamaterials, which rely on bulky structures and resonant phenomena, MSAT employs metasurfaces characterized by small periodic scatterers and surface thickness relative to the wavelength of interest. This approach enhances efficiency and minimizes losses.

Metamaterial Surface Antenna Technology (MSAT) by Kymeta offers a unique perspective on addressing challenges in satellite communications. By incorporating high-birefringence liquid crystals, metasurfaces, and holographic beamforming, MSAT enables the development of electronically-scanned antennas that effectively address bandwidth, efficiency, and manufacturing tolerance issues. These antennas demonstrate exceptional performance in both Ku and Ka satellite bands, making them a potential solution for various mobile satellite applications.  ^[4]

Partnerships

• NASSAT
• Turksat^[5]
• Airbus Defence and Space^[6]
• Inmarsat^[7]
• Merck^[8]
• Toyota^[9]
• Alidaunia^[10]
• e3 systems^[11]
• FMC Globalsat^[12]
• iDirect^[13][14]
• Intelsat^[15]
• MCH
• SKY Perfect JSAT Group^[16]
• Profen Group
• OneWeb
• Comtech Telecommunications Corp.

References

1. Rusli, Evelyn M. (August 21, 2012). "Antenna Company Raises $12 Million From Bill Gates and Lux Capital". DealBook. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
2. "Kymeta Poised to Disrupt the Satellite Communications Industry". www.onboardonline.com. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
3. "Kymeta founder Nathan Kundtz stepping down as CEO". SpaceNews.com. October 30, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
4. Stevenson, R.; Sazegar, M.; Bily, A; Johnson, M.; Kundtz, N. (September 2016). "Metamaterial surface antenna technology: Commercialization through diffractive metamaterials and liquid crystal display manufacturing". 2016 10th International Congress on Advanced Electromagnetic Materials in Microwaves and Optics (METAMATERIALS). IEEE. pp. 349–351. doi:10.1109/metamaterials.2016.7746395. ISBN 978-1-5090-1803-1. S2CID 205065.
5. "Kymeta Announces Partnership with Türksat to Bring Land and Sea Connectivity to Europe, Middle East and Africa".
6. "Airbus Home". Airbus. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
7. "More Partnerships to Fuel Kymeta's Market Foray". SatelliteToday. May 19, 2015.
8. "Kymeta – Partners". Kymeta Corp.
9. Boyle, Alan (January 12, 2016). "A satellite antenna on your car: Toyota and Kymeta aim to make it so". Geekwire.
10. "Home Page - Alidaunia s.r.l. - Società di navigazione aerea". www.alidaunia.it. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
11. "Kymeta and e3 Kymeta Partner for Global Satellite Broadband Connectivity". Kymeta. March 18, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
12. "Kymeta Expands Distribution Network to Support Remote Alternative Energy Facilities". Kymeta. December 5, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
13. "ST Engineering iDirect - Satellite Communications Technology". ST Engineering iDirect.
14. "Commercial Availability for the World's First Flat Satellite Antenna". Kymeta. March 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
15. "Intelsat and Kymeta Join Forces to Expand the IoT and More". Kymeta. February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
16. "New Connectivity Options from Kymeta and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation". Kymeta. March 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2018.