SpaceX will acquire Swarm Technologies, a satellite connectivity startup, in a first deal for the 19 year-old company.Swarm has a constellation consisting of 120 satellites that are sandwich-sized, as well as a ground station network. SpaceX would acquire control of Swarm's ground and space licenses. SpaceX would also be able to take over any licenses that are pending before it. The startup would be a wholly owned subsidiary of the larger company if the transaction is approved.This acquisition was announced in under-the radar filings with Federal Communications Commission. It marks a significant departure from the launch giant's long-standing strategy of developing its tech internally.According to reports, the deal was reached by both companies on July 16. According to FCC filings, the terms and financial details of the transaction are not disclosed. Swarm and SpaceX could not be reached for comment.The companies stated in the filing that Swarms services will be able to benefit from SpaceX's better capitalization and access resources, as well the synergies of acquisition by a provider satellite design, manufacture and launch services. SpaceXs side will also benefit from the Swarm team's intellectual property and expertise, as well from SpaceX adding this highly resourceful and efficient team to its ranks.This is a big deal for SpaceXs operations. It's unclear what this means for its Starlink satellite network. These satellites operate in a different frequency range than Swarm. Swarm CEO Sara Spangelo said last month to TechCrunch that the company is still moving towards its goal of operating a 150 satellite constellation.Swarm, compared to SpaceX is relatively young. Although it raised a $25m Series A in August 2018, almost three years ago, Swarm only went commercially-live with its flagship product this year. The Tile is a small modem that can embedded in different connectivity devices and connected to the satellite network. This allows users to have a low-cost method to power the Internet of Things.Swarm also released its second product, the $499 Evaluation Kit. This all-in-one kit allows anyone to make an IoT device with a Tile, a Solar Panel, and a few other components.
