Lumi Space and the EIC Accelerator: Lasers to Track Satellites

Lumi Space, incorporated in Yateley, Hampshire, in 2018, provides satellite laser ranging: ground stations fire short laser pulses at retroreflectors on satellites and time the return to measure orbits far more precisely than radar, which the company says is "1000 x more accurate" than traditional tracking. Precise orbits help satellites avoid collisions and support debris removal and in-orbit servicing. Lumi Space was selected in the EIC Accelerator's March 2023 cut-off for a grant-only award for "Lumi SLR", described as "Revolutionising space sustainability through precise and scalable Satellite Laser Ranging", according to the EIC's list of winners. The project does not appear in CORDIS, the EU's database of funded projects, so its budget, dates and reports are not public.

The company's website sells "orbit determination as a service" through an API, alongside retroreflectors for satellite makers. Its blog has no posts. Earlier work was supported by Innovate UK and the Satellite Applications Catapult, which helped it produce metal retroreflectors and test laser ranging hardware over long distances, according to the Catapult. No customers, contracts or station locations are named publicly.

Where Lumi Space Stands Now

Lumi Space's average workforce grew from 6 in the year to November 2022 to 17 in the year to November 2025, and net assets rose from £22,789 to £822,391, according to accounts filed at Companies House. In 2025 it added £197,520 of equipment, and at the year end held £497,341 in cash, with debtors of £617,084 and creditors of £424,439. In October 2025 ownership passed from Hira Singh Virdee, its controlling shareholder since 2018, to Foundational Limited, a holding company he controls, according to the register of persons with significant control.

The Technology: Timing Light to the Centimetre

Lumi Space says traditional tracking methods are not good enough for today's crowded orbits. Laser ranging measures distance by the round-trip time of light; the Catapult describes Lumi's system as pinpointing small objects "with centimetre-level precision". Lumi Space wants to make it a commercial service with automated ground stations and cheap reflectors on customers' satellites. How many stations it runs and how accurate they are in service has not been published.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award promised precise and scalable satellite laser ranging for space sustainability. Because the project is outside CORDIS, there is no public objective, budget, timeline or report to check it against. The company's growth in staff and equipment is consistent with a funded development programme, but what the EIC money paid for cannot be traced.

1. Public project recordNoneNot in CORDIS.
2. Commercial serviceOfferedAPI on website.
3. Named customersUnverifiedNone public.
4. Company growthVisible6 to 17 staff.

The Money

The size of the EIC grant is not public. Lumi Space's small-company accounts do not show revenue or profit. Debtors rose to £617,084 at the end of 2025 from £6,873 a year earlier; the abridged accounts do not say who owes the money.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Low Earth orbit is getting crowded, and precise tracking is part of keeping it usable. Europe wants its own space surveillance capability. The EIC selected a British provider; without a public project record, neither the EU nor UK taxpayers can see what their support achieved.

The Verdict

Lumi Space and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.