Transcelestial has landed an investment package, which brings the total investment to date to $30.7M, to deploy its laser communications technology across telecom, defence and space infrastructure across the emerging technology corridors of Australia and Japan.
The funding round was co-led by NTT Finance – the finance arm of Japan’s leading telecommunications conglomerate and Paspalis Capital – a VC with strategic investment interests in Northern Australia. Additional participants in the round include Golden Egg Ventures, In-Q-Tel, David G. Wilson (ex-007 Franchise, Defense & Aerospace Investor, Tyr Ventures, Beyond Earth Technologies and Non Public.
“Japan and Australia have been target markets for us for a while. With a mature telecom and enterprise market in need of more connectivity to supplement national security, widespread access to AI and disaster recovery needs, our suite of laser communications products across telecom, defence and space domains allows us to be a single-stop provider for communications. NTT Group is one of the largest, most respected players in the World – we welcome them as strong partners as we scale across Japan. Similarly, Paspalis Capital have deep roots in the Northern Territory community and has proven to be a strong backer of Deep Tech in this part of the world. The team is extremely excited to be working with them and other new and ongoing partners for Australia, Japan, USA and other market developments,” said Rohit Jha, CEO and Co-Founder of Transcelestial.
Transcelestial is the world’s largest producer of wireless laser communication technology through its commercially available product, CENTAURI, which creates a highly secure invisible laser communications network between buildings, cell towers, and poles without the need for physical fiber cable. Today, it delivers over 150km+ of laser communication in production, creating over 2Tbps of network capacity worldwide across 10+ telecom customers.
In Japan, Transcelestial is set to revolutionise Japan’s critical communications infrastructure with its lasercomms technology to address the nation’s unique challenges posed by natural disasters. By deploying the CENTAURI laser communication system, Japan will gain a resilient, rapidly deployable solution for disaster recovery, national security, and space exploration. Using Transcelestial’s upcoming space initiatives, in potential collaboration with various space startups and organisations like Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the aim is to ensure essential services remain operational during crises, strengthen defense capabilities. This positions Japan at the forefront of advanced laser technology and space-based communications, marking a significant leap in infrastructure resilience and technological innovation.
Simultaneously, in Australia, Transcelestial will sandbox laser communications infrastructure that serves both local and national ambitions. The expansion will focus on three core areas: (1) breaking through Australia’s remote connectivity barriers with lasers; (2) upgrading defense assets with ground-to-drone laser capabilities which Transcelestial will develop and manufacture in Australia over the next couple of months; and (3) pioneering Australia’s first laser-based gateway to space communications via the Northern Territory. These projects aim to unlock billions in economic opportunity, foster R&D and advanced manufacturing, and position Australia as a key player in the future of strong defensive capabilities in communications and global space communications.
Harley Paroulakis, CEO of Paspalis Capital said: “Transcelestial’s laser communications technology is exactly the kind of innovation Paspalis looks for—practical, resilient, and ready to scale. By collaborating with key institutions in the Territory, we’re helping to close infrastructure gaps, improve remote connectivity, and support long-term economic growth.”
Chikashi Sakurada, Executive Manager at NTT Finance said: “This investment reflects our focused commitment to advancing Japan’s communication infrastructure. Transcelestial’s laser connectivity is not just innovation for innovation’s sake—it addresses a very real challenge in urban density, high-speed data transmission, and infrastructure resilience. Together, we aim to set new benchmarks for what advanced connectivity can deliver in our communities.”
Image credt: Transcelestial
