Sceye: 10 Key Things You Must Know

Overview

Sceye is an innovative aerospace company specializing in high-altitude platform systems (HAPS) that operate in the stratosphere—a layer of Earth's atmosphere located approximately 60,000 to 65,000 feet above the surface. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Moriarty, New Mexico, Sceye is pioneering a new class of solar-powered, helium-lifted airships designed for long-endurance flights that can last months or even a year. These airborne platforms function as a transformative infrastructure layer between terrestrial networks and orbiting satellites, enabling unprecedented global connectivity and environmental monitoring. As you delve into the following points, you'll discover how Sceye's innovative technology is reshaping telecommunications, climate protection, and disaster management from the edge of space.

1. Origins and Mission

Sceye was founded in 2014 with a mission to unlock the stratosphere's potential for both connectivity and Earth observation. The company seeks to bridge the coverage gap in remote and underserved areas by providing direct broadband-speed Internet to users' devices without the need for ground infrastructure. Simultaneously, Sceye’s platforms gather critical environmental data, enabling real-time monitoring of climate change indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions and natural disasters. By doing so, Sceye aims to protect the planet while connecting excluded communities worldwide.

2. High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) Technology

Sceye's core innovation is their High Altitude Platform Systems, which are lighter-than-air helium balloons approximately the size of a Boeing 747’s wingspan (around 214 feet). Unlike traditional airships or drones, these platforms float at an altitude of about 65,000 feet and are powered by solar energy during the day with battery reserves at night, allowing for endurance flights that can last months to over a year. This persistent station-keeping ability differentiates Sceye’s platforms, enabling continuous observation or communication over a fixed area.

3. Connectivity: Direct-to-Device Broadband

One of Sceye’s hallmark features is its capability to deliver broadband Internet directly to standard cellular devices, without requiring special satellite dishes or receiver equipment. This direct-to-cellphone connectivity is a game changer for remote and underserved regions where deploying terrestrial cell towers is cost-prohibitive or impractical. Sceye’s HAPS can rapidly restore communications in disaster zones where infrastructure is damaged, providing faster and more flexible deployment than satellites or ground towers.

4. Environmental Monitoring and Climate Protection

Beyond connectivity, Sceye leverages its platforms to support environmental science. The HAPS carry a variety of sensors including hyperspectral imaging, synthetic aperture radar, and gas detection instruments to monitor wildfires, flooding, methane leaks, and other climate-related events. Sceye recently demonstrated the world’s first methane monitoring from the stratosphere, detecting emissions in real-time and enabling regulatory agencies to respond faster to super-emitters. This capability contributes directly to better climate oversight and disaster mitigation.

5. Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations

Sceye maintains strong partnerships with key organizations such as NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). These collaborations involve cooperative research to enhance Earth observation capabilities and apply these insights to natural resource management and disaster response. Additionally, Sceye has strategic investors including SoftBank Group and Mawarid Holding Company, reflecting its global ambitions and financial backing for commercialization.

6. Recent Funding and Valuation

As of mid-2025, Sceye has raised over $213 million through multiple funding rounds, with its Series C round led by Mawarid Holding and strategic investments from SoftBank. The company achieved a pre-money valuation of approximately $525 million. This funding supports continued research and development, flight testing, and the anticipated commercial launch scheduled for 2025-2026.

7. Successful Flight Milestones

Sceye has completed over 20 successful high-altitude flights, including breakthrough missions like the first-ever full diurnal flight—remaining aloft over a fixed area for more than 24 hours. Their 2024 flight program demonstrated advanced control dynamics such as station-keeping, controlled relocation, and endurance powered by solar energy during daylight and batteries at night. These milestones validate the feasibility of persistent high-altitude operations.

8. Innovations in Flight and Control Systems

The airships’ design includes a reflective outer material to maintain shape across the extreme temperature and pressure variations of the stratosphere. Automated and human-assisted controls manage ascent, navigation, station-keeping, and descent. The platforms transition from a vertical ascent posture to horizontal flight to maneuver and maintain position. Sceye’s control system incorporates beyond-line-of-sight command capabilities, enabling remote, reliable operations anywhere in the world.

9. Market Impact and Future Prospects

Sceye's HAPS technology stands to impact multiple sectors including telecommunications, defense, environmental science, and emergency management. As global demand grows for 3D telecommunications networks and expanded connectivity for UAVs and drones, Sceye is positioned to offer scalable solutions. Its upcoming commercial launch in Japan with SoftBank in 2026 aims to showcase broadband and disaster recovery services, underpinning aspirations to become a core component of next-generation 6G infrastructure.

10. Sceye's Role in the Emergent Stratospheric Ecosystem

Sceye is a key member of the emerging High Altitude Platform Station ecosystem, alongside various startups and established aerospace companies developing stratospheric solutions. These platforms create a new layer of infrastructure between terrestrial and satellite networks, often referred to as “base stations in the sky.” This layer can enable persistent global observation and connectivity with greater flexibility, speed, and cost-efficiency than traditional means. Sceye’s pioneering work helps define this transformative frontier.

Conclusion

Sceye represents a bold step forward in aerospace innovation, blending the endurance of lighter-than-air platforms with advanced telecommunications and Earth observation technologies. By positioning novel, solar-powered airships in the stratosphere, Sceye opens new horizons for connecting the unconnected and safeguarding our planet. As it moves toward commercial deployment, the company exemplifies the transformative power of emerging technologies applied to global challenges. What new possibilities will arise when the skies become a permanent extension of our digital and environmental infrastructure?