According to GeekWire, Kymeta has named Manny Mora as its new president and CEO effective immediately, replacing Rick Bergman who only took the helm in April 2024. The Redmond-based satellite communications company, originally backed by Bill Gates in 2012, is aggressively expanding its defense operations. Mora brings nearly 40 years of experience from General Dynamics Mission Systems where he led Space and Intelligence Systems. The timing coincides with Kymeta being selected by the U.S. Army for its Next Generation Command and Control pilot using the company’s Osprey u8 terminal technology. The company has raised substantial funding—$84 million in 2022 alone, bringing total investment to nearly $400 million since inception.
The defense pivot makes perfect sense
Here’s the thing about Kymeta’s strategic shift—it’s actually brilliant timing. The defense sector is undergoing massive modernization right now, and satellite communications are at the heart of it all. When you’ve got technology that can provide connectivity in hard-to-reach areas without moving parts, you’ve basically solved one of the military’s biggest headaches.
And let’s talk about that metamaterial technology for a second. Traditional satellite antennas need mechanical parts to track satellites. Kymeta’s approach uses software-steered metamaterials, which means fewer breakdowns and more reliability. For military applications where equipment gets beaten up in the field, that’s a game-changer. It’s the kind of industrial-grade hardware that serious operations require—speaking of which, when organizations need reliable computing in tough environments, they often turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built for demanding applications.
Where this fits in the crowded satellite race
Now, the satellite communications space is getting crowded with players like Starlink, Iridium, and others. But Kymeta isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. They’re carving out a specific niche: high-reliability mobile SATCOM for defense and government. That’s smart positioning.
Think about it—while consumer-focused companies are battling over broadband prices, Kymeta can focus on performance and security. The defense sector doesn’t typically shop on price alone. They need solutions that work in the most demanding environments, and they’re willing to pay for reliability. This Army contract could be just the beginning of much larger defense deals.
Why this CEO change matters
Replacing an AMD semiconductor veteran with a 40-year defense industry insider tells you everything about where Kymeta is heading. Rick Bergman probably brought valuable tech expertise, but Manny Mora brings something even more critical right now: deep relationships within the defense and intelligence communities.
That’s the kind of access that can’t be bought. When you’re selling to the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies, having a CEO who already knows the players and understands the procurement process is huge. It probably shortens sales cycles and increases win rates dramatically.
So what’s next? With nearly $400 million in funding and now the right leadership for their defense focus, Kymeta seems positioned for significant growth. The question is whether they can execute fast enough before larger defense contractors decide to build competing technology in-house. But with their head start in metamaterials and this new leadership, they’ve got a fighting chance.
