Apex Enters Japanese Market: Flying Dedicated Technology Demonstration Mission for Tokyo-Based NEC Corporation in 2027

LOS ANGELES — March 19, 2026 — Apex, the world’s leading manufacturer of productized, configurable satellite bus platforms, today announced its first contract with a Japan-based company, NEC Corporation, to support an upcoming technology demonstration mission launching in 2027.

Under the agreement, NEC purchased one of Apex’s Aries satellite bus platforms, which it will use to demonstrate high-throughput optical communications technology as part of its broader effort to advance technologies for next-generation satellite constellations. The mission will demonstrate key communications and networking capabilities in a 1,000 km low Earth orbit.

The deal marks Apex’s first mission with a Japanese customer and represents a significant milestone in the company’s international expansion. The collaboration underscores Apex’s growing role as a trusted spacecraft supplier not only to U.S. government and commercial customers, but also to U.S. partners developing resilient space infrastructure.

“Apex was built to deliver the speed, reliability, and scale required for the next generation of space missions,” said Ian Cinnamon, CEO and Co-Founder of Apex. “Expanding into Japan marks a major step in Apex’s global growth. NEC is a world-class technology leader, and this demonstration shows how our productized satellite platforms can support missions beyond the United States.”

By providing off-the-shelf, configurable satellite platforms, Apex enables partners like NEC to focus internal resources on mission-specific technologies while maintaining satellite reliability and accelerating time to orbit. Apex’s productized approach replaces bespoke, years-long spacecraft development cycles with standardized platforms that can be delivered in weeks or months, not years. NEC’s Aries bus will be delivered later this year.

As allied nations expand investments in space-based communications and security capabilities, scalable manufacturing and rapid deployment are becoming essential. Apex’s partnership with NEC reflects a shared commitment between the United States and Japan to strengthen industrial cooperation and support the development of critical space infrastructure.

“We are deeply honored to have Apex—an industry leader in providing small satellite buses with short lead times within the rapid innovation of the U.S. satellite manufacturing field—join us in this project. In today’s rapidly expanding space sector, speed directly correlates with project success. By fusing NEC’s long-standing expertise in advanced mission payload design with Apex’s standardized, innovative platform, we will redefine the speed of development, from planning to launch. Alongside such partners, NEC aims to provide space digital infrastructure with unprecedented speed and efficiency,” said Yasushi Yokoyama, General Manager, Satellite Constellation Department, NEC.

This mission builds on Apex’s rapid growth and demonstrated on-orbit success, including the two-year operational milestone of its first Aries spacecraft and the continued expansion of its high-rate satellite manufacturing capabilities in Los Angeles. With increasing global demand for proliferated constellations, Apex is positioned to support allied nations seeking reliable, rapidly deployable satellite platforms.

About Apex

Apex is the world’s first mass-manufacturer of productized satellite bus platforms designed to meet the demands of the rapidly expanding space industrial base. Founded in 2022 by Ian Cinnamon and Max Benassi, Apex manufactures scalable spacecraft solutions for both commercial and government customers. The company set a world record with its first satellite bus as the fastest clean-sheet design to production spacecraft operating in space. Backed by some of the country's leading investors, Apex is committed to accelerating space innovation through high-rate manufacturing of productized, reliable satellite platforms that enable the next generation of critical constellations. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Apex was named one of Fast Company's most innovative space companies in 2025, and was named to Silicon Valley Defense Group’s NatSec100—which recognizes the top venture-backed, dual-use and defense technology companies. For more information, visit www.ApexSpace.com

About NEC

The NEC Group leverages technology to create social value and promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. NEC Corporation was established in 1899. Today, the NEC Group’s approximately 110,000 employees utilize world-leading AI, security, and communications technologies to solve the most pressing needs of customers and society.