🇫🇮 ICEYE establishes German entity and appoints country CEO to advance Europe’s sovereign intelligence capability
BERLIN, Germany (July 8, 2026) — ICEYE, the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space, today announced the formal establishment of ICEYE’s German entity, based out of Berlin and Munich, and the appointment of Philipp Herkelmann as CEO of ICEYE Germany.
ICEYE Germany will manufacture satellite components, develop advanced software, and establish an AI center and intelligence group, extending ICEYE’s presence in one of Europe’s most important defence and industrial heartlands.
The establishment of ICEYE Germany also deepens the company’s partnership with Rheinmetall through Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions (RISS), a joint venture advancing sovereign space capability across Europe.
“ICEYE is a European success story, founded by a Pole and a Finn who met through the Erasmus exchange programme and backed by EU horizon research funding—a European foundation that continues to shape our growth today. The establishment of ICEYE Germany strengthens a partnership that is already delivering and marks the next step in our long-term commitment to Germany,” said Rafał Modrzewski, co-founder & CEO of ICEYE.
“Germany is central to Europe’s sovereign defence & space ambitions and to ICEYE’s identity as a technology company. It has the engineering talent, the industrial partners, and the imperative to become a cornerstone of Europe’s sovereign intelligence capability. That is what we are here to build, delivered through our joint venture with Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions as the integrating platform,” said Philipp Herkelmann, CEO of ICEYE Germany.
Herkelmann has led the establishment of ICEYE Germany since early 2026, with responsibility across sovereign intelligence programmes, AI and satellite R&D, and the partnership with Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions. He brings a background spanning Google, EU Inc and Entrepreneur First, where he backed and built deep technology companies across Europe.
ICEYE designs, builds, and operates the world’s largest and most advanced SAR satellite constellation, delivering continuous intelligence to governments and customers worldwide, in any weather, day or night. Seven governments to date across Europe have procured sovereign satellite systems from ICEYE, making it the leading European provider of space-based intelligence.
About ICEYE
ICEYE is the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space. We deliver persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth.
ICEYE owns the world’s largest and most advanced SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation. To our customers we provide intelligence with unmatched quality, latency and revisit times, in any weather, day or night. To governments who choose to operate their own constellation we provide this proven capability as a sovereign system.
ICEYE-built constellations serve customers in defence and intelligence, environmental monitoring, insurance and emergency management. We enable fast decisions that contribute to a safer future.
Natively European, founded in Finland. ICEYE operates globally with over 1,000 employees.
Media contact
Email: [email protected]
For more information, visit the ICEYE website.
Originally published on July 8, 2026 by ICEYE.
