Zenno Astronautics

Market position

Zenno describes the Z01 Supertorquer as the world's first superconducting product for space and states it was the first company to take superconducting electromagnets to space, positioning the product as a magnetic stabilization system for satellites that replaces thrusters or conventional reaction wheel and magnetic torque rod combinations.

Unlike conventional attitude control approaches, the system consumes no propellant and is not limited by fuel, instead using solar-derived electrical energy; the use of high-temperature superconducting wire removes the current limit that constrained earlier electromagnet designs, and the resulting unit is substantially smaller and lighter than traditional systems while remaining compatible with existing spacecraft carrying magnetic materials.

Technology

The core technology is a high-temperature superconducting electromagnet (solenoid) whose wire has zero electrical resistance, allowing far larger currents — and therefore far stronger magnetic fields — than conventional wire. The magnets must be held at roughly 80 kelvin (about -193 to -200 degrees Celsius) while the satellite itself runs near 20 degrees Celsius, so the unit is wrapped in insulation layers and uses a heat pump to reject excess heat. The system is powered from a battery charged by satellite solar panels. The company states the resulting system occupies about 20 times less volume than traditional propulsion systems and describes its electromagnet technology as patented. In 2022 the technology was at approximately NASA technology readiness level 6.

Go-to-market

Direct sales agreements with satellite owners and operators, supported by an in-orbit demonstration flown as a hosted payload on a partner spacecraft (Impulse Space's Mira). Corporate investors ANA HOLDINGS and Mitsubishi Electric, via Global Brain, are intended to make the technology available in the Japanese market, and the U.S. move is aimed at access to partners, customers, investors and talent in the Los Angeles aerospace cluster.

Satellite owners and operators, including constellation operators; the Z01 is described as scaling from satellites of 50 kg up to space-station-sized vehicles. The company has cited U.S.-based satellite operators as early customers and has also targeted the Japanese market through its investors ANA HOLDINGS and Mitsubishi Electric, as well as government agencies and national-security-related work in the United States.

Geography

Founded and headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, with a planned redomicile to the United States and a facility in Los Angeles targeted for September or October, staffed by relocating New Zealand employees plus local hires. Investors and commercial partners provide market access in Japan.

History

Zenno was founded in 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand, by Max Arshavsky and Sebastian Wieczorek, as a spin-off from the University of Auckland. It raised a NZ$10.5 million seed round in 2022 led by GD1 and Nuance Connected Capital, and in 2024 announced the first close of a seed expansion round led by GD1 that added Global Brain, investing on behalf of ANA HOLDINGS and Mitsubishi Electric. The Z01 Supertorquer flew on Impulse Space's Mira satellite, launched in November 2024 on the SpaceX Transporter-12 mission, and was demonstrated in orbit in June. In July 2025 the company announced plans to relocate its headquarters to the United States, choosing Los Angeles.

Risks & controversies

Early plans slipped relative to public statements: a first launch targeted for the fourth quarter of 2023 with D-Orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare, and a production facility operating by February 2024, preceded an orbital demonstration that took place in 2025 aboard a different partner's spacecraft. The technology depends on maintaining cryogenic temperatures (around -200 degrees Celsius) aboard a warm, sun-pointing satellite, and the relocation to Los Angeles involves higher costs than other U.S. cities and the movement of staff from New Zealand.