It was created to analyse changes to the Arctic ice sheet, but its scope is much wider. Satellites supply information about natural disasters and aid to remove their effects, monitor the waters of the seas and oceans, guarantee the safety of countries. The clients of ICEYE are global companies and governments, specified as the United States Department of Defense, as well as the Ukrainian army. The beginnings of the company date back to the beginning of the life of its founder – Pole Rafał Modrzewski:
– I've always wanted to run technological projects. The interest in space itself has besides been visible to me since I was a child, for example, alternatively of buying games on Game Boy I preferred to invest in a telescope.
In advanced school, he decided to become a space businessman. He graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology and then left for Finland, where he met young people building satellites. He joined them, made friends with Fin Pecca Laurie. They decided to work together. – We assumed that we would build tiny satellites, due to the fact that the full technological revolution made the planet aware that the way they were built so far was no longer meaningful. They can be made faster, more efficient, cheaper. And they're smaller. In 2015, they constructed the first absolutely innovative product, challenging the existing monopolists – powers and organizations with immense budgets.
Today the Finnish company managed by the Polish president is valued at over a billion dollars, has revenues exceeding $100 million per year, employs specialists from 60 countries, is based in the Finnish Espoo and a branch in Warsaw and branches in respective another countries. Rafał Modrzewski, although he himself started his adventure abroad, encourages future businessmen to stay in Poland. – erstwhile we started a company, we got quite a few information that it would neglect – recalls, receiving the Money.pl Entrepreneur of the Year award.
– I think we have succeeded and it is worth repeating to young entrepreneurs. They sometimes ask me, ‘Should I leave Poland?’. He's going, at our place, in Europe. You don't gotta go to the United States. The Polish Ministry of Defence has just signed an agreement with ICEYE to acquisition satellites. – We have prepared an offer for the Polish Army, which is at global level, even somewhat better – assures Modrzewski.
