Monday, June 3, 2024 A consortium of Japanese businesses, led by NTT DOCOMO, Inc. and Space Compass Corporation, alongside Mizuho Bank Limited and the Development Bank of Japan Inc., has pledged to invest USD 100 million in AALTO HAPS Limited.

AALTO manufactures and operates the stratospheric, solar-powered Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS). This investment will be channeled through the consortium’s investment entity, HAPS JAPAN Corporation. This strategic alliance aims to commercialize connectivity and earth observation services using HAPS across Japan and Asia.

It will also support AALTO’s industrial and commercial plans, with services expected to launch in Japan and globally by 2026. The Zephyr, capable of flying for months in the stratosphere, offers transformative capabilities for mobile connectivity and earth observation. As a versatile platform, Zephyr can act as a multi-functional aerial tower providing low-latency 5G direct-to-device mobile connectivity.

It can also leverage Airbus’s earth observation service, Strat-Observer, to support various monitoring, tracking, sensing, and detection applications. AALTO is thus positioned to enhance mobile network operator coverage and provide high-capacity connectivity, particularly useful during Japan’s natural disaster responses. This investment strengthens the collaboration between AALTO, NTT DOCOMO, and Space Compass, a joint venture between NTT and SKY Perfect JSAT focused on developing a Space Integrate.