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Permasat builds the mobile network of the future - just in space
It began as a thesis project at Aalborg University for the two engineers. Today, Jens Moeslund Frandsen and Albert Werner Laursen are working to solve a challenge that few people think about in everyday life, but which has great significance for everything from weather forecasts to monitoring natural disasters.
With the startup company PermaSat, they want to make communication between satellites faster, cheaper and more efficient. And with the NOVI grant, they have received an important push to take the next step.
Satellites have a communication problem
To understand PermaSat's idea, imagine that your mobile phone only had a connection when you were within range of your own Wi-Fi connection. As soon as you moved out of range, the connection would disappear.
This is how many satellites work in principle today.
When satellites collect data in space, they often have to wait until they fly over a so-called ground station before they can connect and transmit the information. This can create significant delays and limit the amount of data that can be sent.
– We have thousands of satellites that have challenges with getting rid of data because they depend on flying over specific ground stations, explain Jens and Albert.
PermaSat is therefore working to transfer principles from modern 5G networks to satellites in space. This has led to the development of a completely new approach to satellite communications. The goal is to create a more intelligent network between satellites, so that data can flow faster and more efficiently.
Can affect everything from weather forecasts to forest fires
Even though the technology takes place hundreds of kilometers above our heads, it can have an impact right down to the ground.
An example is forest fire monitoring. Today, it can take hours from the time a satellite detects a fire until the information reaches those who are supposed to respond to it.
PermaSat's solution has the potential to significantly reduce that waiting time.
Weather forecasts can also become more accurate.
– Many people experience that weather forecasts are not always accurate. But part of the challenge is that it is both expensive and time-consuming to move weather data from space to the ground. If we can do it faster and cheaper, we can also get a better data base, they say.
From thesis project to startup
The idea for PermaSat arose about two and a half years ago, while Jens and Albert were engineering students at Aalborg University.
Inspired by developments in satellite communications, they began to investigate how technologies from modern mobile networks could be used in space. Their interest quickly grew, and together with their supervisors, the idea developed into a thesis project.
At one point they were faced with a choice: Should they stick with the thesis, or should they take the leap and turn it into a business?
About two months before the thesis was due, they began to investigate funding opportunities and take the first steps towards turning the idea into a real business. At the same time, they had to clarify whether they were ready to commit to life as entrepreneurs.
They chose the latter.
– The idea was simply too exciting not to pursue, they say.
Since then, they have received support from both Aalborg University and the European Space Agency (ESA) and have worked purposefully to develop the technology.
Although PermaSat is built on advanced technology, the biggest learning so far has not necessarily been technical.
– We actually thought we would spend most of our time on technology development. But the first year, most of the time has been spent on business development, fundraising and learning how to run a business, they say.
That's why an important part of the journey has been to get out of the engineering bubble and test the idea against reality.
– As engineers, you can quickly fall into a technology hole because that's what you find exciting. But it's important to verify your business model early and talk to people who dare to challenge your idea, they say.
Their advice to other entrepreneurs is therefore simple:
– You have to love the idea and the field you are working in. There will be lots of challenges along the way, and if you are not passionate about it, it will be difficult to stay motivated. At the same time, you have to be curious about feedback and ready to adjust the course along the way.
Next stop: The room
For Jens and Albert, the next big milestone is ready: The technology must be tested in practice.
The goal is to send a satellite into space with PermaSat's solution on board and thereby document that the technology works under real-world conditions.
The NOVI grant will help bring them closer to that ambition.
With the grant, PermaSat has received DKK 250.000 in cash support, an office in GrowAAL East, and professional advice worth a total of approximately DKK 300.000.
– It gives us the opportunity to take the next steps and continue developing the technology, they say.
For Jens and Albert, it's no longer just about a thesis project or a good idea. The ambition is to help create the satellite communication of the future, and prove that the technology works in practice.
About Permasat
- Permasat was founded in 2025 by CEO, Jens Moeslund Frandsen and CTO Albert Werner Laursen.
In addition, the team also includes professor and Petar Popovski, associate professor Israel
Leyva-Mayorga and associate professor Jens Dalsgaard Nielsen from Aalborg University - Winner of the NOVI Grant 2026
- Working on satellite communications inspired by 5G networks.
