Sceye and SoftBank Corp. Sign Agreement for Fleet of Stratospheric Platforms Targeting Nationwide Coverage in Japan
Sceye and SoftBank Corp. Sign Agreement for Fleet of Stratospheric Platforms Targeting Nationwide Coverage in Japan
Five-year agreement builds on Sceye’s successful stratospheric connectivity tests in Japan and advances full-scale deployment of HAPS as stratospheric infrastructure and a key pillar of SoftBank’s strategy for a Ubiquitous Network
MORIARTY, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sceye, a U.S. aerospace and material science company building High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) for stratospheric infrastructure, today announced a five-year Master Services Agreement (MSA) with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434, “SoftBank”) to manufacture, launch, and operate a fleet of Sceye’s HAPS over Japan with the aim of achieving nationwide coverage. This agreement advances the companies’ partnership from flight demonstrations toward full-scale stratospheric infrastructure.
“We are moving into full-scale production of our stratospheric platforms,” said Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, Founder and CEO of Sceye.
Share
Sceye’s HAPS will form a key pillar of SoftBank’s strategy for a Ubiquitous Network. The majority of Sceye’s initial fleet will provide mobile broadband throughout Japan, while a subset will also establish a Free Space Optical (FSO) network in the stratosphere. These deployments advance the companies’ shared vision for a 3D communication network that combines terrestrial infrastructure, stratospheric platforms, and satellites to expand reliable connectivity, support communications during disasters, and enable future applications across AI, IoT, aerial communications, edge computing, and 6G.
“We are moving into full-scale production of our stratospheric platforms,” said Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, Founder and CEO of Sceye. “Our recent flight to Japan demonstrated how Sceye’s platform can connect directly into existing networks and support multiple applications during a single mission, proving the value of the stratosphere as the Earth’s next infrastructure layer. Now it’s time to scale – and together with SoftBank, we are prepared to provide persistent, high-capacity connectivity and adjacent services where it is needed most.”
“This agreement represents the commercialization of HAPS and the realization of our vision for Ubiquitous Transformation,” said Masayuki Kamimura, Senior Director of SoftBank Corp.’s Ubiquitous Network Planning Division. “Building on the successful flight demonstration in Japan, we are excited to take the next step with Sceye toward bringing stratospheric connectivity into commercial use. By combining Sceye’s advanced HAPS technology with SoftBank’s telecommunications expertise, we aim to create a resilient, three-dimensional communications network that seamlessly connects the ground, sky, and space, expanding connectivity, strengthening disaster preparedness, and enabling new possibilities in the 6G era.”
The agreement follows Sceye’s successful 30-day Service Test 1 (ST1) mission, in partnership with SoftBank, which launched from New Mexico on August 9, 2026, and traveled in the stratosphere to Japan and back. ST1 carried SceyeCell, a first-of-its-kind “cell tower in the sky” that delivers wide-area mobile broadband directly to standard devices from the stratosphere. During a week of operations over Japan, Sceye and SoftBank demonstrated text messaging, voice calls, internet access, and video streaming. Testing included emergency communications, indoor connectivity, HAPS-based remote drone control, and edge computing performed directly aboard the platform. The mission also supported a world-first demonstration of stratospheric laser ranging by tracking a HAPS from the ground, advancing future FSO communications between ground, stratosphere, and space
The stratosphere offers the optimal vantage point, close enough to Earth for high-capacity connectivity and observation, yet high enough for wide-area reach. It offers space-like conditions without the cost of being in space or the disadvantages of being in orbit. Sceye’s HAPS maintain altitude and area of operation through consecutive day and night cycles, operating like geostationary satellites, only 1,800 times closer to Earth and at a fraction of the cost.
SoftBank invested in Sceye initially as part of their Series C funding round in 2025. The new MSA establishes the next phase of that strategic partnership, scaling manufacturing, launches, and operations to deliver stratospheric services over Japan.
About Sceye
Sceye (pronounced “sky”) is an aerospace company dedicated to advancing stratospheric infrastructure to connect people and protect the planet. Sceye leads the High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) industry, focusing on universal connectivity, climate monitoring, natural resource management, and disaster prevention.
About SoftBank Corp.
Guided by the SoftBank Group’s corporate philosophy, “Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone,” SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) operates telecommunications and IT businesses in Japan and globally. Building on its strong business foundation, SoftBank Corp. is aiming to activate the potential of AI across its businesses and drive implementation in line with its “Activate AI for Society” growth strategy. While further growing its telecom business, SoftBank is expanding its AI computing infrastructure and AI and Cloud service businesses with the aim of becoming a provider of Next-generation Social Infrastructure. To learn more, please visit https://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/
