Noblis' venture arm backs digital twin specialist

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Sedaro is working with Space Force on how to use these replications of the physical world in the design of spacecraft.

Noblis' corporate venture capital arm has invested in a cloud-based software startup that specializes in creating digital twins for use in simulation and design work.

Sedaro was founded in 2019 and designed its software platform to provide users a singular architecture and environment for designing satellites and other types of spacecraft. Terms of the Noblis Ventures investment announced Tuesday were not disclosed.

“Working with Noblis, we can accelerate the application of Sedaro’s digital twin technology to challenges that demonstrate the foundational value of our technology in an increasingly autonomous and integrated world," Sedaro co-founder and chief executive Robbie Robertson said in a release.

In August, Sedaro announced its booking of a $1.5 million contract with Space Force to demonstrate the use of digital twins in spacecraft design. The goal of that program is to show how digital twins can aid in the creation of spacecraft that can perform in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing missions.

Space represents one of four key focus areas for Noblis Ventures, the nonprofit science and technology firm's avenue for early stage investments in deep-technology startups to help bring their creations from lab to government mission.

Noblis Ventures made its first space-specific investment in June when it backed Scout Space, a provider of vision solutions to help spacecraft collect data and track objects.

With respect to Sedaro, Noblis CEO Mile Corrigan cited the company's tools as helping facilitate more high-end technology readiness on complex physical designs.

 “As Noblis is committed to innovating beyond boundaries, this is another avenue for collaborative solutioning and development to further our current digital engineering capabilities and expand mission impacts for our customers," Corrigan added in the Sedaro announcement.

Corrigan previewed Noblis' plans for its venture arm in this episode of our WT 360 podcast in June. That was part of a series on the 2023 Top 100 rankings.