TAMPA, Fla. — Hungarian communications provider 4iG has agreed to invest $100 million in U.S.-based space station developer Axiom Space, broadening its footprint in the space industry amid a broader push toward vertically integrated capabilities in the industry.
The company said Dec. 19 it has committed to invest $30 million in Axiom by the end of 2025, followed by an additional $70 million by March 31, 2026.
“The commitment established with Axiom Space marks a milestone in U.S.–Hungarian relations,” said István Sárhegyi, CEO of 4iG’s Space and Defence Technologies (SDT) division.
He said the deal creates “a unique opportunity for a Hungarian company to become a strategic investor in a U.S. space enterprise, thereby strengthening economic and technological cooperation between the two countries.”
In October, 4iG announced a non-binding commitment letter to evaluate a potential $100 million investment in Axiom Space. The agreement outlined a separate $100 million framework for cooperation on the development of orbital data center systems over the next five years.
4iG said in a news release that the Axiom investment would provide Hungary with an opportunity to secure a long-term role in orbital data centre programs and space-based data processing and storage, but did not provide details.
The company also said it had earlier signed agreements with Axiom focused on low Earth orbit (LEO) technologies and orbital data center services.
Expanding space presence
4iG has far-reaching plans for sovereign satellites and domestic manufacturing capabilities.
The company recently signed a 15-year deal with multi-orbit operator Eutelsat for a geostationary slot that provides the foundation for its HUSAT satellite program, which the telco bills as the largest privately initiated and financed space project in Central and Eastern Europe.
HUSAT comprises one geostationary telecommunications satellite, dubbed HUGEO, and eight LEO observation satellites known as HULEO: six equipped with electro-optical sensors and two carrying synthetic aperture radar payloads.
The company aims to “build out long-term strategic partnerships with relevant international stakeholders for which the HUSAT program is a great catalyzer,” Sárhegyi told SpaceNews.
Financial terms of the Eutelsat agreement, as well as details of the orbital position and frequency rights involved, have not been disclosed.
4iG plans to deploy HUGEO in 2029, Sárhegyi said, while launches for the HULEO constellation are slated to begin in late 2028 for full deployment before 2033.
Shoring up domestic infrastructure
While 4iG is looking to procure the geostationary satellite from an international manufacturer, Sárhegyi said the company is building domestic capabilities for the LEO constellation.
Ultimately, he said 4iG “aims to become a vertically integrated service provider along the satellite value chain to cover satellite DMAIT [or Design, Manufacturing, Assembly, Integration and Testing], ground segment & mission operations, remote sensing data services & satellite communication capacity.”
In the second half of 2026, the company expects to open a 4,000-square-meter satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing facility for spacecraft up to 400 kilograms.
“We are also in the process of building out the necessary georedundant ground segment infrastructure, mission operations, data storage and processing capacity to support the HUSAT program,” Sárhegyi added, “and all other new satellite programs to come globally.”
Alongside greenfield satellite efforts, 4iG has a minority 20% stake in Spacecom and is participating in the Israeli geostationary operator’s debt settlement process.
To prevent dilution of its ownership, 4iG’s board recently agreed to participate fully in Spacecom’s capital increase and exercise its subscription rights.
Previous efforts by 4iG to acquire a controlling stake in Spacecom have faced regulatory and political hurdles in Israel, complicating the Hungarian company’s earlier space ambitions.
More recently, the Hungarian company announced separate cooperation agreements with contractors Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin focused on defense technologies, expanding its engagement with U.S. firms beyond space.
