Tokyo, Japan, April 2, 2026 – ArkEdge Space Inc. (“ArkEdge Space”), a Tokyo-based space startup delivering micro-satellite constellations from design to operations, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ABIT Corporation (“ABIT”) to collaborate on the international rollout of IoT solution services and the joint development of satellite communication devices.
Scope of Collaboration
ArkEdge Space has equipped its satellites with low-power, long-range IoT communication terminals and has conducted in-orbit demonstrations across 18 satellites developed and operated to date. One such example is the AE1b mission, in which the upper and lower sections of a tanka (a traditional Japanese poem with a five-line structure of 5-7-5 and 7-7 syllables), were uplinked separately from the ground and then combined on orbit to generate an original poem. From November 1 to 4, 2025, at the 11th UNISEC-Global Meeting, ArkEdge Space conducted a live demonstration of satellite short-message transmission to participants representing 18 countries.
By leveraging satellite IoT, sensor data deployed in remote environments, whether on land or offshore, can be collected and utilized without relying on terrestrial cellular networks or internet infrastructure. This includes data related to meteorology, ocean observation, logistics, environmental monitoring, and more. Furthermore, by integrating these IoT data with other geospatial information such as satellite imagery and analyzing them in combination, it becomes possible to visualize conditions, detect and assess risks, and support decision-making for end-to-end solutions to a wide range of challenges.
Based on its achievements to date, ArkEdge Space is advancing into the next phase of international demonstrations and commercial deployment across multiple regions, including Africa, Central Asia, South America, and Pacific Island nations.
IoT Solution Demonstration and Deployment Status
Bringing IoT solutions into real-world use requires more than satellite technology alone. It demands comprehensive ground-side execution capabilities spanning device design, mass production, on-site deployment, and long-term operation and maintenance. This partnership brings together these ground-side capabilities with satellite-enabled wide-area coverage to deliver end-to-end IoT solutions.
ABIT is an IoT platform operator with core strengths in wireless technologies and extensive experience delivering IoT devices for remote metering, disaster prevention, and other applications from development through social implementation. By combining ABIT’s expertise with ArkEdge Space’s satellite constellation technologies and its global partner network, the companies will develop wide-area IoT solutions incorporating satellite communications. In addition, they will work jointly to promote the deployment and adoption of the new solutions.
In addition, the companies will jointly develop communication equipment for satellite applications to strengthen wireless communication technologies that are central to service quality and scalability. ArkEdge Space will lead the development and validation for its satellite systems, building on ABIT’s communication module and protocol technologies. ArkEdge Space plans to apply the outcomes to its own satellite constellations, while also advancing them toward commercialization and sales.
Furthermore, both companies will continue to leverage their respective technology assets to explore new business opportunities in related communications technology fields, and to jointly drive the creation of innovative communication services and expansion into international markets.
About ABIT Corporation
ABIT Corporation is a provider of IoT devices for social infrastructure and holds the top domestic market share in communication terminals used for remote gas meter reading for city and LP gas. Built on refined wireless communication technologies, with advanced measurement equipment designed for major telecommunication carriers, ABIT supplies ultra-low-power devices compatible with various communication systems, including LTE Cat M1 and the 920 MHz band (U Bus Air, eHAN). These technologies support the advancement of essential infrastructure, such as joint meter-reading systems that utilize nationwide smart electricity meter networks.
In the disaster-prevention and crisis-management sectors, ABIT provides IoT solutions that incorporate millimeter-wave radar water-level sensors, AI-driven traffic-control systems, and other advanced ICT technologies. These solutions assist municipalities and infrastructure operators in enhancing safety and improving operational efficiency.
ABIT is also involved in technology development in the defense and space sectors. Its initiatives include field trials of disaster-prevention IoT using satellite communication, as well as the development of phased array antenna modules (PAAM) and communication systems designed to enable high-speed, wide-bandwidth links with aerial platforms. Through these innovations, the company contributes to the evolution of next-generation communication technologies.
Headquarters: 3-10 Minami-machi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan
President & CEO: Takeo Hiyama
Founded: 1986
Website: https://www.abit.co.jp
About ArkEdge Space
ArkEdge Space is a Japanese space technology company offering end-to-end solutions for micro-satellite constellations—from planning and design to mass production and operations. Guided by its mission of “empowering people with satellites for a prosperous future,” the company is advancing capabilities in Earth observation, maritime satellite communications (VDES), optical communications, and low-Earth orbit satellite positioning, as well as lunar activities and deep space exploration. Through our mission, ArkEdge Space continues to drive the advancement of space innovation and its practical application.
Head Office Location
3F, Dome Ariake Headquarter, 1-3-33 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
CEO: Takayoshi FUKUYO
Founded: in July 2018
Website: https://arkedgespace.com/