DMI and TerraLens sign MoU to advance sovereign AI-powered SAR intelligence for defence and security
The partnership will combine on-board and ground-based analytics to deliver faster, end-to-end satellite intelligence solutions for Europe
Munich / Gilching, 27.03.2026 — Data Machine Intelligence (DMI) and TerraLens have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop integrated AI-powered satellite intelligence for the German and European defence and security market. The partnership will combine DMI’s sovereign AI and autonomy software with TerraLens’ SAR-based imagery intelligence capabilities to deliver end-to-end Earth observation and decision support across both space and ground segments.
At the core of the collaboration is a shared goal: connecting on-board and ground-based analytics in a sovereign, operationally practical architecture. The companies will evaluate how selected AI functions can be executed directly on satellites to reduce latency, support time-critical missions, and make better use of limited downlink capacity — while high-performance ground processing remains the backbone of the system. The result is a bridge between in-orbit inference and ground-based analysis, designed to get actionable intelligence to defence and security users faster.
The partnership is well aligned with Germany’s evolving space security strategy, which emphasises resilient space capabilities, sovereign access to mission-relevant data, and closer integration of commercial actors into national security architectures.
Pau Garcia Sanz, CTO, DMI:
“European customers need space-based intelligence solutions that are sovereign, responsive, and deployable in the real world. Together with TerraLens, we want to drive ISR automation on the Space and Ground segment — so users get not only data but relevant information on which they can act faster.”
Carlos Villamil López, Co-Founder and CTO, TerraLens:
“This partnership brings together complementary strengths in SAR analytics and autonomous mission software. Our focus is to turn that into an operational capability — combining the speed of on-board processing with the depth and scalability of ground-based analysis.”
About Data Machine Intelligence (DMI)
Based in Munich, Data Machine Intelligence (DMI) is a defense-technology startup building a unified software ecosystem for European Mission Autonomy. DMI enables the rapid development and deployment of trusted autonomous systems, bringing real operational impact to mission execution in all domains. Through its unified software ecosystem, DMI accelerates the shift towards AI-based systems, enabling aerospace, defense and space organizations to rapidly develop, securely deploy, and effectively operate autonomous systems, while maintaining full ownership of their data and intellectual property.
About TerraLens
TerraLens, a spin-off of DLR, develops satellite imagery intelligence solutions with a focus on SAR-based analysis for defence and security use cases. The company combines deep domain expertise in radar data exploitation with practical application knowledge to deliver actionable intelligence products for demanding operational environments.
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