Failed 2020

    OneWeb

    Building a satellite internet constellation requires $10B+. OneWeb raised $3.4B but wasn't enough to compete with SpaceX.

    Founded → Closed

    2012 → 2020

    Funding Raised

    $3.4B

    Industry

    Telecom/Satellite

    Country

    UK

    IdeaProof AI Failure Score

    72/100
    Market Fit RiskBurn Rate RiskFounder Risk
    Market Fit Risk
    55
    Burn Rate Risk
    90
    Founder Risk
    25

    Full Analysis

    OneWeb aimed to build a 648-satellite constellation for global internet. SoftBank invested $2B. But building and launching hundreds of satellites required far more capital than expected. When SoftBank pulled further funding during COVID, OneWeb filed for bankruptcy in March 2020. The UK government and Bharti Global later acquired OneWeb out of bankruptcy for $1B, but SoftBank and other original investors lost billions. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Starlink deployed 5,000+ satellites with more capital and more market traction.

    Could This Failure Have Been Prevented?

    IdeaProof's AI validates market demand, competitive positioning, and business model viability in minutes — catching the exact issues that sank OneWeb.