Archangel Lightworks
Optics & Photonic Components · Satellite Communications
$17.8Mtotal raised · 16 rounds on record
5open roles
Venture roundlatest round · Oct 2026 · 1 mo ago
1backers · Oxford Science Enterprises
Overview
Archangel Lightworks connects networks in space with networks on the ground using laser communication systems.
Funding and backers
Total raised
$17.8M
16 rounds on record
Latest round
Venture round
Oct 2026 · 1 mo ago
Team
51-200
employees, estimated range
Hiring now
8
+3 posted in 30 days
Grants
$5.9M
8 grants · CORDIS
Backers
1
Oxford Science Enterprises
The money's age
Fresh money
1 months since the last round · and hiring
Momentum
35/100
hiring for its size, fresh money
Last sign of life
this month
a posting or a news item
The story so fareach stage dated by its source: the company's releases, the press, registers, filings
Oct 5
Raised a round Venture round
Aug 7
Raised a round Venture round
Apr 13
Raised a round Series A $12.7M
Apr 7
Raised a round Venture round
Aug 1, 2025
Won a grant $1.9M · CORDIS
Jan 27, 2025
Partnership Starcloud and Archangel Lightworks Sign MOU to Reshape Earth Observation with Space-Based Data Centres · archangel.works
Aug 1, 2024
Won a grant $634k · CORDIS
Jul 1, 2024
Won a grant $253k · CORDIS
Apr 1, 2024
Won a grant $2.4M · CORDIS
Apr 14, 2023
Raised a round Venture round
Feb 15, 2023
Raised a round Seed $5.1M
Jan 16, 2023
Partnership Archangel Lightworks Collaborates with SpeQtral to Develop Quantum-Enabled Optical Ground Station · archangel.works
Dec 12, 2022
Raised a round Venture round
Nov 1, 2022
Won a grant $444k · CORDIS
Mar 21, 2022
Partnership Archangel Lightworks Collaborates with SSC Space UK on Optical Communication Integration Project · archangel.works
Dec 1, 2021
Raised a round Seed
Mar 25, 2021
Recognition Archangel Lightworks wins Start-up of the Year at the British Engineering Excellence Awards · archangel.works
Mar 9, 2021
New executive Archangel Lightworks announces appointment of new CEO, Richard Johanson · archangel.works
Nov 1, 2020
Won a grant $51k · CORDIS
Nov 1, 2017
Won a grant $103k · CORDIS
Jul 1, 2017
Won a grant $88k · CORDIS
Apr 28, 2017
Founded per the company register
Tractionpublic signals, read monthly
Web presence
top 6%
of 133.2M domains by links, Common Crawl
Funding rounds
| Round | Date | Amount | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venture round | Oct 2026 | — | — | find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |
| Venture round | Aug 2026 | — | — | find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |
| Series A | Apr 2026 | $12.7M | — | archangel.works |
| Venture round | Apr 2026 | — | — | find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |
| Grant | Aug 2025 | $1.9M | — | CORDIS |
| Grant | Aug 2024 | $634k | — | CORDIS |
| Grant | Jul 2024 | $253k | — | CORDIS |
| Grant | Apr 2024 | $2.4M | — | CORDIS |
| Venture round | Apr 2023 | — | — | find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |
| Seed | Feb 2023 | $5.1M | — | archangel.works |
| Venture round | Dec 2022 | — | — | find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk |
| Grant | Nov 2022 | $444k | — | CORDIS |
| Seed | Dec 2021 | — | — | archangel.works |
| Grant | Nov 2020 | $51k | — | CORDIS |
| Grant | Nov 2017 | $103k | — | CORDIS |
| Grant | Jul 2017 | $88k | — | CORDIS |
Registers and programsofficial lists and records that name the company
| Legal entity | ARCHANGEL LIGHTWORKS LTD | Companies House |
| Registered | 28 Apr 2017 |
Backed byfrom the funds' portfolios and accelerator catalogs
Investors in similar startupsfunds that back the companies most like this one
Similar startupsby what they do, their industry and backers
Apolink Communications, a California-based satellite company, is building a 24/7 relay network in LEO. Our hybrid RF and optical links…
We Build Interoperable Satellite Communications. Talk to our team.
ABOUT Your experts for the future of optical infrastructure Trusted By: Who are mimopt ? MIMOPT Technology, founded in 2021 as a Télécom…
Orbital Lasers emerged as an independent venture spun out from SKY Perfect JSAT and collaborates with RIKEN to develop compact space-based…
Quvia is a connectivity software company that measures and manages quality of experience for networks on ships, aircraft and remote sites…
CONNECTING EARTH AND SPACE FOR INFINITE POSSIBILITIES. Pioneering deep-tech company specializing in next-generation wireless terrestrial…
Jobs
≈ $40k – $83k per year (Estimated) · Equity · In office · Full-Time · Oxford
SolidWorks
Apply
≈ $51k – $107k per year (Estimated) · Equity · Hybrid · Full-Time · Oxford
SpaceWire
CCSDS
Apply
≈ $63k – $114k per year (Estimated) · Equity · Hybrid · Full-Time · 5+ years exp · Bachelor's Degree · Oxford
GitHub
Chips/EDA
KiCad
SpaceTech
ECSS
SysML
IBM DOORS
Apply
≈ $73k – $149k per year (Estimated) · Equity · Hybrid · Full-Time · 5+ years exp · Bachelor's Degree · Oxford
Python
MATLAB
Simulink
DevOps
TCP/IP
IoT
MQTT
Management
Agile
SpaceTech
CCSDS
ECSS
SysML
MBSE
MedTech
Verification & Validation
Apply
≈ $54k – $90k per year (Estimated) · Equity · Hybrid · Full-Time · 3+ years exp · Oxford
MATLAB
Simulink
Apply
Visa sponsorship
A-rated
Sponsor licence
Skilled Worker
Visa route
8
Open roles in United Kingdom
In the register as Archangel Lightworks Ltd, Oxford, Oxfordshire
Other sponsors in the same field
AST SpaceMobile 
Viasat 
VIAVI Solutions 
Thorlabs
See 8 open roles Alert me
UK Home Office · checked Nov 12, 2026 · Visa details by country
Growth
Hiring Momentum
54/100
Stable
Open positions
8
3 opened / 1 closed in 30 days
Median time-to-fill
39 days
faster than 35% of the market
ATS activity
Every ~6 hours
Today
Hiring Dynamics
0%
Hiring Focus
The percentage next to each role is its share of the company's job openings over the last 90 days; the arrow shows the shift versus the previous period.
Hardware
29%
Management
21% ▲
Industrial Engineering
14% ▼
Networking
7% ▲
Administrative
7% ▲
Finance
7% ▼
Activity Timeline
+3 jobs in a week
Oct 2026
Added Verification & Validation to stack
Oct 2026
Added TCP/IP to stack
Oct 2026
Added MBSE to stack
Oct 2026
Added SpaceWire to stack
Oct 2026
Added CCSDS to stack
Oct 2026
Added SysML to stack
Oct 2026
Added IBM DOORS to stack
Oct 2026
Added ECSS to stack
Oct 2026
Added KiCad to stack
Oct 2026
Added GitHub to stack
Oct 2026
Added Incident Management to stack
Oct 2026
Financials
Total raised
$23.7M
Latest round
Venture - Series Unknown
Funding rounds
16
Investors
1
Funding rounds
| Round | Announced | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venture - Series Unknown | 2026 | — | Details |
| Venture - Series Unknown | 2026 | — | Details |
| Series A | 2026 | $12.7M | Details |
| Venture - Series Unknown | 2026 | — | Details |
| Grant | 2025 | $1.9M | Details |
| Grant | 2024 | $634k | Details |
| Grant | 2024 | $253k | Details |
| Grant | 2024 | $2.4M | Details |
| Venture - Series Unknown | 2023 | — | Details |
| Seed | 2023 | $5.1M | Details |
| Venture - Series Unknown | 2022 | — | Details |
| Grant | 2022 | $444k | Details |
| Seed | 2021 | — | Details |
| Grant | 2020 | $51k | Details |
| Grant | 2017 | $103k | Details |
| Grant | 2017 | $88k | Details |
Key Investors
Tech stack
Technologies named in job postings at Archangel Lightworks over the last 12 months, by layer, with the share of postings for each.
Technologies in use
30
Postings analysed
9
Stack modernity
64/100
Languages
MATLAB
Python
C++
Rust
Cloud & platforms
FreeRTOS
GitHub
Linux
RTOS
Sign in to see how your skills match this stack
Sign In
Full Archangel Lightworks tech stack
30 technologies · by team · pay by technology · changes · similar stacks
Connections
List
Graph
Found in company registers, site code, DNS and hiring. Each connection shows how sure we are and the evidence, with its source and date.
Owner
Oxford Science EnterprisesConfirmed
oxfordscienceenterprises.com
| Evidence | Value | Source | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK PSC: controlling company | Pro plan | Companies House | Nov 8, 2026 |
Confidence 1.00
Shared investors
Oxford Science EnterprisesVia a fund
Click a company to open it. Dashed lines are likely connections. The second step of the network is part of the Pro plan.
Owner
Same company
Same group
Likely
News
World's smallest deployable operational optical ground station proves capability in successful trials
Archangel Lightworks, the laser communications company, has successfully completed field trials of the TERRA-M, the world's smallest deployable operational optical ground station, proving its capability.
Read more
Report
Archangel Lightworks: World's smallest deployable operational optical ground station proves capability in successful trials
Data transferred securely and rapidly between space and groundCompatible with U.S. Space Development Agency standardUK Space Minister Liz Lloyd welcomed the newsUnits for purchase and service
Read more
Report
Archangel Lightworks Raises Over £10M In Series A Funding Round
Oxford, UK. (April 13, 2026) - Archangel Lightworks announces the successful close of an oversubscribed £10 million Series A funding round to accelerate the commercialisation of its deployable optical ground station, the TERRA-M.Archangel Lightworks, a la
Read more
Report
Archangel Lightworks and Omantel establish a strategic partnership to bring laser communications to Oman
Read more
Report
Starcloud and Archangel Lightworks Sign MOU to Reshape Earth Observation with Space-Based Data Centres
Starcloud , formerly Lumen Orbit, a leader in satellite data centre technology, and Archangel Lightworks , a pioneer in optical...
Read more
Report
Archangel Lightworks builds the future of Space-enabled network connectivity under the Future Telecommunications Challenge
Archangel Lightworks announces Project Illuminate kick-off as part of the Contracts for Innovation Future Telecommunications Challenge.
Read more
Report
Archangel Lightworks Selected for InnovateUK's 2023 EUREKA Globalstars Japan Program in collaboration with Infostellar
Archangel Lightworks is developing Commercial Optical Communication Ground Segment Services in collaboration with Japan's Infostellar.
Read more
Report
Archangel Lightworks Demonstrates World-Leading Rapid Deployment of Optical Ground Stations
Archangel Lightworks demonstrates a world-leading capability for rapid deployment of an optical ground station without on-site calibration.
Read more
Report
Looking Towards The Future: A Recap of 2023
2023 was a great year for us at Archangel Lightworks! Here's what happened: We closed £4 million of Seed capital in a round led by...
Read more
Report
Week 13: Team Building and Team Barbeques
In the fast-paced world of start-ups, finding a moment to hit the pause button and recharge can be a challenge. That's why we all work so...
Read more
Report
Show more news
Offices
Where the company hires and what each office is for
Cities
2
Hiring now
1
Countries
1
Busiest office
Oxford
Loading the map
Headquarters
Builds here
Office with open vacancies
No open vacancies right now Tap a pin for the office
Oxford
United Kingdom
HQ
8 open roles 14 posted in 90 days 25% engineering 50-200 est. staff
hires for Hardware, Management, Industrial Engineering
Didcot
United Kingdom
Regional office
168 Maxwell Avenue, Didcot, England, OX11 0QT, GB