Farcast
YC W20San Francisco, US · Founded 2019 · Delaware corporation · 12 employees · Hiring · 10 known investors
Farcast develops advanced satellite communication user terminals with flat panel phased array antennas that electronically track satellite movement for reduced size, weight, power, and cost. The company serves mobile users and fixed applications requiring satellite internet connectivity globally.
Also known as Farcast (formerly UTVATE) · UTVATE · UTVATE Corporation · UTVate
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W20)
Farcast was founded in 2019 by Siamak Ebadi.
Board
Investors · 10
Also in the syndicate · 2
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$15.6M disclosed across 1 of 4 rounds · 2022–2025
- Undisclosed amountSeries A extensionApr 2025
Lockheed Martin
Source ↗
▶$15.6MraisedApr 2025 · 25 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Guido JouretDirector
- Siamak EbadiExecutive Officer, Director
- David ByrdDirector
- Offering amount
- $23.6M
- Amount sold
- $15.6M
- First sale
- Dec 2022
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Farcast is a San Francisco-based satellite communications hardware company that designs and builds advanced SATCOM user terminals. Its products are flat panel antennas (FPAs) using phased array technology with electronic beamscanning, which compensates for the movement of the satellite, the user, or both without mechanical steering. The company positions this proprietary approach as reducing size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) for user terminals that require active electronically scanned antennas (AESAs).
The company addresses both geostationary (fixed satellite) scenarios, where moving users such as cars and aircraft benefit from electronic tracking, and low Earth orbit (moving satellite) scenarios, where all users benefit. Farcast was founded in 2019, participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2020 batch, and reported a team size of 12 on its YC profile. It previously operated under the name UTVate and rebranded to Farcast in March 2025 to broaden its customer base.
Traction
Farcast has secured strategic investments from Telesat, Lockheed Martin and Gogo, and is working with Telesat on fully integrated user terminals for the Telesat Lightspeed network. Its Y Combinator profile lists a team size of 12, and the company website lists an engineering staff spanning RF and antenna, control and mechanical, embedded software, electrical, systems, production and test roles.
Latest developments
In November 2025, Telesat invested US$5 million in Farcast to develop fully integrated user terminals for the Telesat Lightspeed satellite network. Earlier in 2025, Lockheed Martin invested $2 million (April 2025) and Gogo made a strategic investment. In March 2025 the company rebranded from UTVate to Farcast.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Farcast is a Y Combinator-backed satellite user terminal developer that has attracted strategic investment from established aerospace and satellite industry players including Telesat, Lockheed Martin and Gogo. The company's site notes it was included among the 10 hottest satellite companies of 2026.
Technology
Farcast develops flat panel antennas built on phased array technology, using electronic beamscanning to compensate for relative motion between the satellite and the user rather than mechanical pointing. The company states its proprietary designs lower size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) for satellite user terminals that require active electronically scanned antennas (AESAs). The approach is applied to both GEO fixed-satellite use cases, where the user platform (such as a car or aircraft) is in motion, and LEO constellations, where the satellites themselves move across the sky.
Go-to-market
The company targets users needing satellite internet connectivity, including mobile platforms such as cars and airplanes under GEO fixed-satellite service, and users of LEO constellations generally. Strategic corporate investors and partners include satellite operator Telesat, aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin, and inflight connectivity provider Gogo.
Geography
Farcast is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and describes its aim as enabling global access to satellite internet.
History
Farcast was founded in 2019 and went through Y Combinator's Winter 2020 batch, with Jared Friedman as primary partner. The company originally operated as UTVate and announced a rebrand to Farcast in March 2025, described as a move to expand its customer base. Strategic investments followed from Lockheed Martin ($2 million, April 2025), Gogo, and Telesat ($5 million, November 2025), the latter tied to developing fully integrated user terminals for the Telesat Lightspeed satellite network.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 7
by search overlap
Companies competing with Farcast for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 6
launches, deals, and filingsFarcast was included in a listing of the 10 hottest satellite companies of 2026.
Telesat invested US$5 million in Farcast to develop fully integrated user terminals for the Telesat Lightspeed satellite network.
$5M source ↗
Lockheed Martin made a $2 million investment in Farcast, as reported by Payload.
$2M source ↗
The company rebranded from UTVate to Farcast to expand its customer base.
Inflight connectivity provider Gogo made a strategic investment in Farcast.
Farcast participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2020 batch, with Jared Friedman as primary partner.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureIn the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Farcastfarcast.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Farcast do?
- Farcast builds flat panel phased array satellite communication user terminals for LEO and GEO satellite internet access.
- Who founded Farcast?
- Farcast was founded by Siamak Ebadi in 2019.
- Who are Farcast's investors?
- Farcast's investors include BlueYard Capital, Fifty Years, Garage Capital, MaC Venture Capital, Y Combinator, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Mango Capital, RA Capital.
- How much funding has Farcast raised?
- Farcast has disclosed $15.6M raised across 1 of its 4 known rounds.
- Where is Farcast headquartered?
- Farcast is headquartered in San Francisco, US.