Tyto Athene eyes space market growth via acquisition
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By
Ross Wilkers
The Arlington Capital Partners-owned technology integrator buys a company that designs software to control spacecraft and other systems while in-flight.
Within a month of its hire of a new chief executive, Tyto Athene has moved on an acquisition with the goal of further extending across NASA and international government space programs.
Tyto Athene views its purchase of Microtel as also adding more software development services that focus on the control of spacecraft and other onboard flight systems. Terms of the transaction announced Tuesday were not disclosed.
Microtel opened for business in 1996 as a manufacturer of search and navigation equipment. The company also designs its ground system software for use in satellite operations centers and other stations on Earth, while also incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques.
For Tyto, the closure of this acquisition follows the appointment of three-decade market veteran Dennis Kelly as CEO to chart the technology integrator's next phase of its strategy.
Kelly joined Arlington Capital Partners-owned Tyto approximately three years after its purchase of the former AT&T defense IT professional services business in 2021. Arlington has held the Tyto business for approximately five years after having carved it out from former parent Black Box.
Most recently, Kelly led Eqlipse Technologies through its standup and subsequent combination with fellow Arlington-backed defense tech integrator BlueHalo.
The McLean Group was the exclusive financial advisor to Microtel on this transaction.