CesiumAstro has acquired Jariet Technologies, a semiconductor company specializing in millimeter-wave RF System-on-Chip (RF-SoC) solutions, as the space communications company moves to bring more of its technology stack in-house.
The acquisition is intended to strengthen CesiumAstro’s capabilities across satellite communications (SATCOM), electronic warfare (EW), radar and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Jariet develops direct RF signal-processing integrated circuits and high-speed data converters designed for software-defined systems. Its technology supports multi-band and multi-function applications, while its engineering and production capabilities include high-volume RF chiplet manufacturing for heterogeneous integrated systems.
For CesiumAstro, bringing semiconductor design under its ownership is part of a strategy to vertically integrate its communications and ISR systems, spanning silicon, hardware, software, payloads and satellite platforms.
The company said greater control over the RF signal chain could allow tighter coordination between individual components and system-level designs. It also expects the integration to help reduce size, weight, power consumption, cost and system complexity across space and terrestrial applications.
“This acquisition brings a foundational semiconductor capability into CesiumAstro,” said Shey Sabripour, founder and CEO of CesiumAstro. He said Jariet’s semiconductor expertise would complement the company’s work in software-defined communications, active phased arrays, payloads and satellite platforms.
Jariet has built a U.S.-based semiconductor supply chain and developed high-performance RF chiplets for large-volume production. Its technology and intellectual property are expected to support CesiumAstro’s development of future satellite payloads, active phased-array terminals, gateways, airborne systems and communications networks.
Charles Harper, CEO of Jariet Technologies, said the combination of the companies’ semiconductor capabilities and CesiumAstro’s defense and satellite systems expertise could accelerate development of phased-array satellite technologies. Jariet will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary following the acquisition.
CesiumAstro said Jariet customers will continue to receive support while gaining access to an expanded semiconductor research and development pipeline and more closely optimized system designs.
The companies also plan to develop a range of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), combining Jariet’s RF and semiconductor capabilities with CesiumAstro’s experience in software-defined communications, active phased arrays, payloads and space systems.
The acquisition extends a broader technology integration strategy at CesiumAstro. The company previously acquired Vidrovr, an artificial intelligence company focused on real-time multimodal signal analysis. That transaction was intended to strengthen CesiumAstro’s ability to incorporate AI into communications and ISR applications.
With the Jariet acquisition, the company is extending its integration strategy further down the technology stack, from RF semiconductors and high-speed signal conversion to communications payloads, satellites, onboard processing and mission systems.
The move comes as demand grows for software-defined and electronically steered communications systems capable of operating across multiple frequencies and missions. Such architectures are increasingly relevant to satellite networks, military communications, radar and electronic warfare, where flexibility and rapid reconfiguration are becoming important system requirements.
By combining semiconductor design with its existing communications and space-system capabilities, CesiumAstro aims to gain greater control over the development cycle and optimize components at both the chip and system levels.
The acquisition is expected to expand CesiumAstro’s semiconductor research pipeline while giving Jariet’s RF technologies access to broader commercial, government and defense applications.
