Endeavor Optical Networks (EON), a start-up that emerged from stealth on 4 August 2026, wants to replace the undersea fibre-optic cables that carry most of the world's internet data with a network of laser-equipped satellites. Undersea cables, while capable of moving vast amounts of data, are difficult and costly to install, access and repair, prompting the search for space-based alternatives; radio-based satellite links have never had enough bandwidth to compete, but improvements in optical technology are now making laser links between orbit and the ground more viable.

The company has raised $10.75 million in seed funding from General Catalyst and Andreessen Horowitz and is led by CEO Charlie Horowitz and CTO Tyler Presser. It plans to launch around 20 satellites offering dedicated continent-to-continent links, initially targeting throughput of 2.4 terabits per second, far above the 2.5 gigabits per second demonstrated by rivals such as York, Kepler and Cailabs, though still short of undersea fibre's 200-plus terabits per second. EON aims to court hyperscalers and AI labs on underserved routes such as France to Australia, with a demonstration satellite targeted for around the end of 2027 that it hopes will achieve at least 800 gigabits, and potentially a terabit, of optical downlink throughput.