When was Iridium Communications founded?

Iridium Communications was founded in 2001 and raised its 1st funding round 19 years after it was founded.

Where is Iridium Communications located?

Iridium Communications is headquartered in Mclean, United States. It is registered at Tempe, Arizona.

Who is the current CEO of Iridium Communications?

Matthew J Desch of Iridium Communications.

How many employees does Iridium Communications have?

As of Jan 12, 2026, the latest employee count at Iridium Communications is 1037.

Is Iridium Communications a funded company?

Iridium Communications is a funded company, having raised a total of $***** in its 1st and only funding round, a Grant (prize money) round on Jan 01, 2020.

How much is Iridium Communications worth?

The last known valuation of Iridium Communications was $***** as of Sep 24, 2009.

When was the latest funding round of Iridium Communications?

Iridium Communications' latest funding was a $***** Grant (prize money) round on Jan 01, 2020, with participation from 1 investor.

Where does Iridium Communications rank among its competitors?

Iridium Communications ranks 16th amongst 350 active competitors, of which 45 are funded. It stands 11th in terms of total funding among its competitors. The most recent competitor to raise funding was SES Satellites, which secured $8.12M in Aug, 2026.

Who are the top competitors of Iridium Communications?

Iridium Communications' top competitors include Skylo, SES Satellites and Thuraya. Among them, SES Satellites secured the most recent funding round in August, 2026.

Iridium Communications - 2026 Company Profile, Team, Funding & Competitors

Company Details

Network of satellite communications providing voice, data, and messaging services. It offers connectivity for various applications, including safety, security, and critical communications. The network supports governments, industries, and innovators requiring dependable connectivity. It provides solutions for aviation safety, maritime emergency systems, and defense communications.

Website: www.iridium.com/
Social
Email ID: *****@iridium.com
Phone Number: +1 **********
Registered Address: Tempe, Arizona

Key Metrics

Founded Year

2001

Location

Mclean, United States

Stage

Acquired

Latest Funding Round

Grant (prize money), Jan 01, 2020, $*****

Last Known Valuation

$***** as on Sep 24, 2009

Investors

Herald Investment Management & 2 more

Ranked

16^th among 350 active competitors

Employee Count

1,037 as on Jan 12, 2026

Investment & Acquisitions

Aireon & 3 more

Similar Companies

Skylo & 260 more

Exit Details

Acquired by Rocket Lab (Jun 29, 2026)

View Iridium Communications' full profile

Iridium Communications is associated with 5 legal entities given below:

Legal Entity Name	Date of Incorporation	Revenue	Latest Employee Count	Reports
IRIDIUM COMMUNICATIONS INC. CIN: 20111620203 , United States, Active	Nov 07, 2011	-	-	-
Iridium Satellite LLC CIN: 0728.712.597 , Belgium, Active	Jan 01, 2016	-	-	-
IRIDIUM CIN: 40103513281 , Latvia, Deadpooled	Feb 17, 2012	€0 - €1M (As on Dec 31, 2014)	15 (As on Dec 31, 2014)	-
IRIDIUM COMMUNICATIONS INC. CIN: 1418819 , United States, Active	Nov 01, 2007	$500M - $1B (As on Dec 31, 2025)	873 (As on Dec 31, 2024)	-
Iridium Satellite Llc CIN: 542000237 , United States, Active	Dec 31, 2000	-	1015 (As on Dec 31, 2024)	-

Iridium Communications got acquired by Rocket Lab on Jun 29, 2026 at an acquisition amount of $*****.

Click here to take a look at Iridium Communications's acquisition in detail

Iridium Communications has raised funding over 1 round. Its latest funding round was a Grant (prize money) round on Jan 01, 2020 for $*****. 1 investor participated in its latest round. Iridium Communications has 3 institutional investors.

Here is the list of recent funding rounds of Iridium Communications:

Date of Funding	Funding Amount	Round Name	Post-Money Valuation	Revenue Multiple	Lead Investors	Other Investors
Jan 01, 2020	5762337	Grant (prize money)	7283588	2311066	6750700	5308747

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View details of Iridium Communications's funding rounds and investors

The founders of Iridium Communications is Paras Shah.

Here are the details of Iridium Communications' key team members:

Paras Shah: Owner of Iridium Communications.
Contact Info: 1 email address
Matthew J Desch: CEO of Iridium Communications.
Contact Info: 1 email address

View details of Iridium Communications's Founder profiles and Board Members

Iridium Communications' employee count trend

Iridium Communications has 1,037 employees as of Jan 26. Here is Iridium Communications's employee count trend over the years:

Employee count trend for Iridium Communications

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Top competitors of Iridium Communications include Skylo, SES Satellites and Thuraya. Here is the list of Top 10 competitors of Iridium Communications, ranked by Tracxn score:

Rank	Company Details	Short Description	Total Funding	Investors	Tracxn Score
1st	Skylo 2017, San Mateo (United States), Series C	Provider of satellite connectivity for sensor data, SMS, and voice calls	$183M	Innovation Endeavors, DCM Ventures & 10 others	72/100
2nd	SES Satellites 1985, Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Public	Provider of satellite-based communication services	-	BCEE, Greyrock Investments & 23 others	69/100
3rd	Thuraya 1997, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Acquired	Provider of mobile satellite communication solutions	$291M	ANZ, Dubai Investments & 2 others	68/100
4th	Telesat 1962, Ottawa (Canada), Public	Provider of data, wireless internet, and satellite communication services	$650M	Quebec, Canadian Space Agency	67/100
5th	Astranis 2015, San Francisco (United States), Series E	Developer of satellite-based communication services	$1.05B	Andreessen Horowitz, Felicis Ventures & 61 others	67/100
6th	Inmarsat 1979, London (United Kingdom), Acquired	Developer of satellite-based communication services	-	EchoStar, UBS & 3 others	67/100
7th	Frequentis 1947, Vienna (Austria), Public	Provider of communication and information systems for safety-critical applications	-	B&C Group, Europa	66/100
8th	ALL.SPACE 2013, Reading (United Kingdom), Acquired	Provider of satellite antenna and other telecom end user equipments	$202M	Boka, Boeing & 16 others	64/100
9th	Hispasat 1989, Madrid (Spain), Acquired	Provider of satellite communication, fixed telephony, and other infrastructure services	-	Europa, Abertis	63/100
10th	EchoStar 1980, Englewood (United States), Public	Provider of satellite communication infrastructure services	-	-	63/100
16th	Iridium Communications 2001, Mclean (United States), Acquired	Network of satellite communications providing voice, data, and messaging services	-	Herald Investment Management, Disruption Venture Partners ... & 1 others	60/100

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Iridium Communications has made 2 investments in companies including DDK Positioning and Satelles. Iridium Communications has also acquired 2 companies including Aireon and Satelles.

Here is the list of investments & acquisitions:

Date of Investment/Acquisition	Type	Company Name	Founded Year	Location
May 14, 2026	Acquisition	Aireon	2012	Mclean (United States)
Mar 04, 2024	Acquisition	Satelles	2008	Reston (United States)
May 24, 2021	Investments	DDK Positioning	2016	Aberdeen (United Kingdom)

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Here is the latest report on Iridium Communications's sector:

Free

Internet of Things Infrastructure - Sector Report

Edition: October, 2026 (76 Pages)

View all reports related to Iridium Communications

Media has covered Iridium Communications for a total of 64 events in the last 1 year, 33 of them have been about company updates and 4 about partnerships.