WISeKey's Quantum-Safe Satellite Venture Aims for Nasdaq Listing

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – December 29, 2025 – In a significant move to secure the future of global connectivity, cybersecurity leader WISeKey International Holding AG and Columbus Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), have confidentially submitted a draft Form F-4 registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing, dated December 23, 2025, marks a critical regulatory milestone in the plan to take WISeKey's satellite Internet of Things (IoT) subsidiary, WISeSat.Space Corp., public on the Nasdaq exchange.

The proposed business combination, first announced on November 10, 2025, will result in the creation of a new British Virgin Islands holding company, WISeSat.Space Holdings Corp., informally referred to as "Pubco." Upon completion, both WISeSat and Columbus will become wholly-owned subsidiaries of this new entity, which is expected to trade on Nasdaq. The deal values WISeSat at $250 million, with its existing shareholders set to receive shares in the new public company. This strategic maneuver is designed to inject capital and public market visibility into WISeSat's ambitious mission: deploying a constellation of satellites fortified against the looming threat of quantum computing.

A New Frontier in IoT: Quantum-Resilient Satellites

At the heart of WISeSat's strategy is a technological edge that sets it apart in the increasingly crowded space sector: hardware-embedded post-quantum cryptography (PQC). While competitors race to provide global IoT connectivity, WISeSat is focused on making that connectivity fundamentally secure against future cyberattacks, including those from quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption standards.

This quantum resilience is achieved by integrating a specialized semiconductor, the Quantum Shield QS7001, directly into its satellites. Developed by SEALSQ, a publicly traded subsidiary of WISeKey, this chip is one of the first to embed NIST-standardized PQC algorithms directly into its hardware. This approach offers significant performance gains and superior protection against sophisticated side-channel attacks compared to purely software-based solutions. By rooting security in the hardware itself, WISeSat aims to neutralize the "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" threat, where malicious actors collect encrypted data today with the intent of breaking it with future quantum computers.

WISeSat has already demonstrated its capability with a successful test launch in December 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which served as a proof of concept for its quantum-secure technology. The company plans to follow this with a fully functional QS7001-based satellite mission in the first quarter of 2026, with a goal of supporting quantum-safe key distribution for critical infrastructure clients soon after. This positions WISeSat not just as a connectivity provider, but as a vanguard in next-generation space-based cybersecurity.

Navigating the SPAC Market for a Cosmic Launch

The decision to merge with Columbus Acquisition Corp. reflects a calculated financial strategy to accelerate WISeSat's growth. The SPAC route provides a faster path to the public markets and access to capital needed for its aggressive satellite deployment schedule. However, the transaction enters a SPAC market that has been characterized by volatility and high shareholder redemption rates over the past two years.

The amount of capital ultimately available to the new company will hinge on how many of Columbus's public shareholders choose to redeem their shares for cash rather than convert them into equity in Pubco. High redemptions could reduce the cash proceeds, potentially impacting the company's operational runway. To mitigate this risk, the deal structure includes arrangements for at least $10.0 million in additional financing to support commercialization and constellation expansion.

Furthermore, the deal gives WISeKey, as the seller, the option to distribute up to 10% of its shares in the new public entity to its own shareholders. This move could unlock value for existing WISeKey investors and broaden the ownership base of the new satellite communications company. The transaction, which has already received unanimous approval from the boards of all involved companies, now awaits the crucial green light from shareholders and the completion of the SEC's review process.

Building a Vertically Integrated Security Ecosystem

WISeSat's public debut is not an isolated corporate event but the culmination of WISeKey's long-term vision to build a holistic, vertically integrated security ecosystem. The satellite venture is a critical pillar, extending the company's digital trust services from terrestrial devices into orbit. This synergy is powered by the tight integration of WISeKey's various subsidiaries.

SEALSQ provides the foundational PQC hardware, a technology it has heavily invested in, including a direct $10 million investment into WISeSat in June 2025 to fast-track its mission. Layered on top is WISeKey's established Root of Trust (RoT), a digital identity technology that ensures every device connecting to the WISeSat network is authenticated and trusted, effectively locking out counterfeit or compromised hardware.

Looking ahead, the platform is also designed to support transactions using SEALCOIN, a digital currency built on Hedera's Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). This integration paves the way for autonomous, machine-to-machine payments and a "Satellite-as-a-Service" (SataaS) business model, where secure data and connectivity become monetizable assets. This comprehensive, chip-to-orbit-to-ledger approach creates a powerful competitive moat, combining hardware security, digital identity, and blockchain-based transactions into a single, cohesive offering.

The Crowded Skies of Satellite IoT

WISeSat is entering a global satellite IoT market projected to surge from $2 billion in 2024 to over $15.5 billion by 2034. The field is populated by established giants like Iridium and Globalstar, as well as a new generation of ambitious Low Earth Orbit (LEO) players, including Starlink and Astrocast. In this competitive environment, pure connectivity is rapidly becoming a commodity.

WISeSat's bet is that ultra-secure, quantum-resilient connectivity will be the key differentiator, especially for industries where data integrity is non-negotiable, such as defense, logistics, energy, and critical infrastructure. The company's deployment plan is already well underway, with 22 satellites launched to date (14 of which are operational) and a clear roadmap to a 100-satellite constellation by 2030. Partnerships with launch provider SpaceX and picosatellite manufacturer Fossa Systems provide the operational backbone to achieve this scale.

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on a seamless web of connected devices, the security of the data flowing between them is paramount. By pioneering a hardware-based, quantum-safe architecture, WISeSat is not merely joining the race to connect the globe; it is aiming to build the secure foundation upon which the future of the Internet of Everything will rest.