WISeSat to Go Public in $250M Deal to Build Quantum-Safe Space Network

ZUG, SWITZERLAND & SINGAPORE – December 29, 2025 – In a significant move to secure the future of global connectivity, cybersecurity leader WISeKey International Holding AG (Nasdaq: WKEY) and Columbus Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: COLA), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), have taken a major step toward bringing a next-generation satellite venture to the public market. The companies announced the confidential submission of a draft Form F-4 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), signaling progress in the planned business combination that will see WISeKey’s subsidiary, WISeSat.Space Corp., become a publicly traded entity.

This transaction, first announced in November 2025, is set to propel WISeSat’s mission of deploying a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation designed to provide secure, quantum-resilient connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT). The deal marks a critical milestone in the race to build a communications infrastructure capable of withstanding the future threat of quantum computing.

A Strategic Launch into Public Orbit

The business combination is structured to create a new Nasdaq-listed holding company, WISeSat.Space Holdings Corp., or “Pubco.” Under the terms of the agreement, both WISeSat and Columbus Acquisition Corp. will become wholly-owned subsidiaries of Pubco. Shareholders of WISeSat, primarily its parent WISeKey, are set to receive Pubco shares valued at an aggregate of $250 million, based on a $10.00 per share price.

The deal is further supported by financing arrangements for at least $10.0 million in proceeds to fuel WISeSat’s operational scaling and commercialization efforts. This financial maneuver highlights a growing trend of using SPACs to fund capital-intensive, high-tech ventures, providing a faster route to public markets and access to the capital needed for ambitious projects like building a satellite constellation.

However, the structure is not without the inherent risks of SPAC transactions. The final cash infusion into the new company will depend on the level of share redemptions by Columbus’s public shareholders. A high redemption rate could reduce the available capital, a common challenge for SPAC mergers that can impact a new company's initial growth trajectory. Following the transaction's close, WISeKey, which will retain a majority stake in Pubco, has the option to distribute up to 10% of its new shares to its own shareholders. The transaction, unanimously approved by the boards of all involved companies, is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending shareholder approval and other customary closing conditions.

Building a Quantum Shield in Space

At the heart of this venture is WISeSat's groundbreaking technology, which aims to address a looming cybersecurity threat: the potential for quantum computers to break current encryption standards. WISeSat's satellite platform is being engineered for post-quantum resilience, a critical feature for protecting sensitive data transmitted for government, industrial, and commercial applications.

This security is achieved through deep vertical integration within the WISeKey ecosystem. The satellites are equipped with advanced cryptographic chips developed by SEALSQ Corp (NASDAQ: LAES), another WISeKey subsidiary specializing in semiconductors and post-quantum technology. This “Quantum Shield” technology, combined with WISeKey’s established cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT), provides end-to-end security, from the chip inside a sensor on the ground to the satellite in orbit and back.

WISeSat has already made tangible progress in demonstrating its capabilities. In December 2025, the company successfully launched a next-generation, post-quantum-secure satellite as a proof of concept. Deployed aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the mission is currently serving as a crucial testbed for these advanced communication protocols from space. Building on these in-orbit tests, WISeSat plans a full-functional satellite launch integrating its QS7001 chipset in the first quarter of 2026. The company currently has 22 satellites in orbit, 14 of which are operational, and has laid out an ambitious roadmap to expand its LEO constellation to a total of 100 satellites by 2030.

Securing the Future of Global Industries

The market for WISeSat’s services extends across any industry that relies on collecting data from remote or mobile assets where terrestrial networks are unavailable or unreliable. The promise of secure, globally accessible, and cost-effective IoT connectivity has the potential to transform operations in several key sectors.

In logistics and supply chain management, the technology can provide tamper-proof, real-time tracking of high-value cargo, monitor sensitive goods in the cold chain, and enable secure communications for autonomous vehicle fleets operating in remote areas. For the energy sector, it offers a secure way to monitor thousands of miles of remote oil and gas pipelines, manage smart grids, and oversee renewable energy assets like wind and solar farms located far from population centers.

Precision agriculture stands to benefit significantly, enabling farmers to monitor soil conditions, crop health, and livestock across vast, rural landscapes. Perhaps most critically, the technology offers a powerful tool for defense and government agencies. It can provide sovereign, quantum-resilient communication channels for military operations, border security, disaster relief efforts, and the protection of critical national infrastructure, ensuring data integrity against sophisticated state-level adversaries.

By providing a secure data pipe from space, WISeSat is not just connecting devices; it is creating a trusted framework for data that is essential for automation, predictive analytics, and critical decision-making on a global scale.

The 'Internet of Everything' Ecosystem

The public listing of WISeSat is not an isolated event but a cornerstone of WISeKey’s broader strategic vision for an “Internet of Everything.” The parent company has been methodically building an ecosystem of subsidiaries that control key aspects of the secure digital identity value chain. SEALSQ provides the secure semiconductor foundation, WISeKey SA offers the cryptographic Root of Trust for identification, and WISeSat will now provide the secure network to connect it all.

This vertical integration allows WISeKey to offer a comprehensive, end-to-end security platform that is difficult for competitors to replicate. The company’s long-standing mission is to provide a trusted digital identity for every connected object, from industrial sensors to consumer products. With over 1.6 billion microchips already deployed, WISeKey generates vast amounts of data that can be analyzed with AI to deliver predictive insights, such as preemptively identifying equipment failure.

The WISeSat constellation extends this vision into the physical world on a planetary scale, ensuring that even the most remote devices can be securely identified, authenticated, and managed. The successful launch of this space-based venture via the SPAC merger will provide the necessary resources and public profile to accelerate this vision, positioning the newly formed Pubco as a pivotal player in the emerging market for secure, space-based IoT communications.