OKAPI:Orbits
Braunschweig, DE · Founded 2018 · 58 employees on LinkedIn · 4 known investors
OKAPI:Orbits provides AI-based Space Traffic Management (STM) and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) software platforms along with consulting services for satellite operators. It supports space missions across their lifecycle, from mission design and pre-launch through collision avoidance and de-orbit.
Also known as OKAPI Orbits · OKAPI:Orbits
Founders & leadership
OKAPI:Orbits was founded in 2018 by Kristina Nikolaus.
Investors · 4
Company profile
researched Aug 2026OKAPI:Orbits is a Braunschweig, Germany-based company developing software for space traffic management (STM), covering satellite missions from early mission design through to de-orbit. Its offering is organized as a set of platform products under the OKAPI brand: OKAPI:Aether for risk prediction, risk management and collision avoidance; OKAPI:Astrolabe, a coordination platform used when two active satellites are involved in a critical conjunction event; and OKAPI:Soteria, which supports mission design optimization and compliance with space debris mitigation requirements. The company presents these as comprehensive end-to-end STM solutions.
Public company communications also address the use of space debris data in operational collision avoidance decision-making and debris risk analysis applied to real-world decisions. In March 2026 the company reported an ESA contract award, held jointly with TU Braunschweig and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), for work on space-air traffic integration.
Traction
The company's website features a "Trusted by" customer/partner section and reports a contract award from the European Space Agency held jointly with TU Braunschweig and DLR.
Latest developments
In March 2026 the company announced an ESA contract awarded to OKAPI:Orbits together with TU Braunschweig and DLR for space-air traffic integration. Subsequent 2026 publications covered debris risk analysis in real-world decision making and the role of space debris data in collision avoidance decisions. Team members were scheduled to attend the SmallSat Symposium, the Munich Security Conference and the Small Satellites & Services International Forum in February 2026.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
Positions itself as a provider of end-to-end space traffic management solutions for the NewSpace sector, spanning mission design to de-orbit.
Technology
The product portfolio consists of web/software platforms for conjunction risk assessment and collision avoidance (OKAPI:Aether), operator-to-operator coordination during active-versus-active satellite conjunction events (OKAPI:Astrolabe), and mission design optimization with debris mitigation compliance checking (OKAPI:Soteria). Company publications discuss translating space debris data and debris risk analysis into operational collision avoidance decisions.
Go-to-market
The company markets its platforms directly and maintains a presence at industry conferences, with team members scheduled for the Small Satellites & Services International Forum in Málaga, the Munich Security Conference, and the SmallSat Symposium in Mountain View in February 2026. It also works under institutional contracts, such as the ESA award with TU Braunschweig and DLR.
Satellite operators and space mission stakeholders requiring conjunction risk assessment, collision avoidance and debris mitigation compliance support across the mission lifecycle; institutional partners include ESA, TU Braunschweig and DLR.
Geography
Headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, with European institutional partnerships (ESA, DLR, TU Braunschweig) and event activity in Germany, Spain and the United States.
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Timeline · 1
launches, deals, and filingsThe European Space Agency awarded a contract for space-air traffic integration to OKAPI:Orbits together with TU Braunschweig and DLR, according to a company news post.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- OKAPI:Orbitsokapiorbits.space · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does OKAPI:Orbits do?
- German space traffic management company offering end-to-end software for collision avoidance and mission design, from design to de-orbit.
- Who founded OKAPI:Orbits?
- OKAPI:Orbits was founded by Kristina Nikolaus in 2018.
- Who are OKAPI:Orbits's investors?
- OKAPI:Orbits's investors include Amadeus Capital Partners, Matterwave Ventures, Dolby Family Ventures, Munich Re Ventures.
- Where is OKAPI:Orbits headquartered?
- OKAPI:Orbits is headquartered in Braunschweig, DE.