Epirus, Inc. is a technology company based in Hawthorne, California, specializing in the design and development of advanced defense systems that utilize artificial intelligence and directed energy. Founded in 2018, the company focuses on creating solid-state, software-defined high-power microwave solutions aimed at countering unmanned aircraft systems and other asymmetric threats. Its flagship product, ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE, serves as a counter-infrastructure solution that can simultaneously target multiple threats, effectively neutralizing drones and swarms. By integrating AI and machine learning with advanced electronics, Epirus enhances the detection and tracking of objects of interest, offering innovative capabilities in electronic warfare and power management for both defense and commercial sectors.
Interlune
Seed Round in 2024
Interlune is a lunar resource startup focused on the extraction of natural resources from space to support sustainable economic development both on Earth and in space. The company specializes in the commercialization of these resources, employing innovative machinery and techniques to detect and extract valuable materials. Among its targets are rare resources, including Helium-3, which are sought after by various clients and governments. Through its efforts, Interlune aims to contribute to a clean and sustainable economy by tapping into space resources that can benefit humanity.
HelicitySpace
Seed Round in 2023
HelicitySpace, founded in 2018 and based in Berkeley, California, focuses on developing advanced propulsion and power technologies to facilitate human expansion into the solar system. The company specializes in its Helicity Drive technology, a scalable pulsed fusion concept that ranges from fusion-augmented electric propulsion to fully ignited reactors. This technology utilizes principles such as magnetic reconnection, plasma plectonemes, and peristaltic magnetic compression to enhance in-space propulsion systems. By offering high-power electric propulsion thrusters and harnessing fusion energy during the exhaust process, HelicitySpace aims to support space exploration initiatives and accelerate their development activities.
Cambium is a company focused on developing biomaterials for various sectors, including defense, aerospace, and renewable energy. Established in 2019 and located in Berkeley, California, it specializes in advanced materials research and development. The company utilizes a combination of synthetic biology, materials science, and artificial intelligence to enhance material performance and sustainability. Cambium's approach involves vertically integrated innovation, ranging from computational material discovery to the production of advanced composites within the United States. By leveraging cutting-edge advancements across multiple scientific disciplines, Cambium aims to improve existing products and facilitate the creation of next-generation materials.
blackshark.ai
Series A in 2023
Blackshark.ai is a company that specializes in creating a 3D digital twin of Earth by utilizing satellite imagery to extract and reconstruct features in photorealistic detail. Its advanced artificial intelligence platform enables global feature detection with remarkable precision and speed, supporting a range of applications such as geospatial intelligence, autonomous navigation, and urban planning. The patented technology allows for the efficient storage and real-time rendering of vast amounts of data, facilitating powerful visualization and simulation capabilities. With a focus on providing insights into mapping and earth observation, Blackshark.ai serves a diverse clientele worldwide, operating from its offices in Silicon Valley and Graz, Austria, and employing a team of over 100 professionals.
Solideon
Seed Round in 2023
Solideon specializes in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) solutions aimed at large metallic component production. The company focuses on developing multi-robot, multi-tool manufacturing cells that significantly reduce production times, allowing for the creation of finished components in days rather than months. In addition to its core manufacturing capabilities, Solideon is dedicated to advancing transportation systems through innovative aerospace vehicle manufacturing. By leveraging machine-learning collaborative systems, Solideon supports the construction of vehicles and infrastructure not only on Earth but also in extraterrestrial environments such as the Moon and Mars. This approach enables space researchers to enhance their capabilities, potentially expanding economic opportunities and fostering advancements for humanity.
Space Perspective
Venture Round in 2023
Space Perspective Inc. is a spaceflight company based in Merritt Island, Florida, founded in 2019. It specializes in offering high-altitude balloon trips to the edge of space through its innovative spaceship, Neptune. The company aims to provide unique space travel experiences for tourists, allowing them to witness the curvature of the Earth from a stratospheric altitude. Flights are launched from Florida's Space Coast, specifically from the historic runway used by the Space Shuttle. Space Perspective plans to expand its operations to additional launch sites, including Cecil Spaceport in Florida, Hawaii, and Alaska, among others. The pressurized capsule used for these flights ascends to approximately 100,000 feet, remains at that altitude for two hours, and then descends slowly under the balloon, ultimately splashing down in the ocean for retrieval.
In Orbit Aerospace
Seed Round in 2023
In Orbit Aerospace is building re-usable, re-entry vehicles and robotics to support mass manufacturing in space. Agnostic to the material type or manufacturing process, they supply the necessary power and data for equipment to operate, and the transportation back down to Earth. In Orbit's robotics enable customers to achieve the highest yields by utilizing the full, amply sized, payload bay for their products
Spartan Radar
Series B in 2023
Spartan Radar is a developer of advanced radar technology that creates high-resolution real-time radar imagery, utilizing proprietary software algorithms. The company's approach incorporates machine learning and edge-processing, mimicking human perceptual abilities to enhance the detection and response to obstacles. Spartan's platform improves the performance of existing advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) by increasing resolution, response time, and range, while maintaining affordability and minimizing computational demands. With a foundation built on decades of expertise in commercializing aerospace and automotive technologies, Spartan Radar provides cutting-edge radar solutions for various applications, including drones and vehicles.
Gravitics
Seed Round in 2022
Gravitics, Inc. specializes in the design and manufacturing of large space structures, including orbital carriers, cargo logistics spacecraft, and space station modules. The company is focused on developing aerospace station technology that serves as the foundation for human life in space. Utilizing next-generation hardware, Gravitics' innovations facilitate shipyard-style fabrication within the aerospace sector, providing clients with versatile interfacing options and robust space armor. Through its advancements, Gravitics aims to redefine space superiority and promote commercial development in Earth orbit and beyond.
Xona Space Systems
Venture Round in 2022
Xona Space Systems, Inc. is a company focused on developing and manufacturing position, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite solutions. Established in 2019 and headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company is creating a constellation of low-cost, low-Earth orbit satellites designed to enhance navigation services for a variety of sectors, including smart transportation and infrastructure. Xona's flagship product, the Xona Pulsar, delivers high-power signals to support applications such as autonomous vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and mobile robotics. The constellation aims to provide secure, resilient, and precise navigation and timing services essential for the safe and scalable operation of modern intelligent systems.
iRocket
Seed Round in 2022
iRocket is a manufacturer of fully autonomous reusable small launch vehicles, dedicated to providing rapid and cost-effective access to space. The company leverages advanced technologies such as 3D printing and additive manufacturing to enhance the reliability and innovative design of its launch systems. By addressing inefficiencies in the space industry, iRocket aims to facilitate advancements in space exploration and satellite deployment, ensuring a more streamlined approach to reaching orbit.
Exosonic
Seed Round in 2022
Exosonic is an early-stage aerospace start-up based in Los Angeles, California, focused on developing supersonic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance adversary air training missions for both commercial and government clients. Founded in 2019, the company aims to evolve these supersonic UAVs into collaborative combat aircraft, with aspirations to create quiet supersonic airliners informed by the insights and revenues generated from its UAV endeavors. Exosonic has secured over $4.5 million in private capital and over $2 million in funding from AFWERX. The company's team of 15 full-time employees is currently working on a subscale flight test vehicle designed to showcase autonomous capabilities and explore crewed-uncrewed cooperation, with the first flight anticipated in the second quarter of 2023.
Pyka, Inc. is a startup based in Oakland, California, that specializes in the development of autonomous electric aircraft tailored for agricultural applications and cargo transportation. Founded in 2016, the company focuses on creating innovative solutions to enhance safety, affordability, and accessibility in aviation. Pyka's aircraft are designed for complex agricultural tasks, such as precision spraying of chemicals over varied terrains, employing advanced flight controllers and onboard sensors. These fully electric planes aim to minimize environmental impact while maximizing operational efficiency, making aerial crop protection more targeted and less harmful to surrounding ecosystems. Additionally, Pyka's technology is versatile enough to facilitate cargo delivery in remote or challenging locations.
Xplore Inc is a company that specializes in developing space aircraft and offering space as a service. Founded in 2017 and based in Mercer Island, Washington, Xplore provides a range of services including mission planning, spacecraft engineering, flight financing, payload insurance, communications, data management, and spacecraft operations. The company caters to both government agencies and commercial space enterprises, engaging in missions that span the moon, earth, Venus, Mars, asteroids, and custom expeditions. Xplore's satellite constellation is equipped with remote sensing instruments such as optical, video, and hyperspectral sensors, which generate valuable data and insights for clients. Furthermore, Xplore's edge computing capabilities facilitate the creation of data fusion products, allowing for on-orbit insights and reducing latency and data transmission costs.
Epirus, Inc. is a technology company based in Hawthorne, California, specializing in the design and development of advanced defense systems that utilize artificial intelligence and directed energy. Founded in 2018, the company focuses on creating solid-state, software-defined high-power microwave solutions aimed at countering unmanned aircraft systems and other asymmetric threats. Its flagship product, ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE, serves as a counter-infrastructure solution that can simultaneously target multiple threats, effectively neutralizing drones and swarms. By integrating AI and machine learning with advanced electronics, Epirus enhances the detection and tracking of objects of interest, offering innovative capabilities in electronic warfare and power management for both defense and commercial sectors.
Pavilion Data Systems
Series D in 2022
Pavilion Data Systems Inc. is a technology company based in San Jose, California, specializing in the design and development of NVMe-over-Fabric storage platforms. The company focuses on enabling real-time performance at scale for massively-parallel applications, offering solutions that cater to sectors such as financial services, government, cloud services, media and entertainment, and research facilities. Pavilion's innovative architecture features Hyperparallel Flash Arrays, which utilize multiple controllers to surpass the limitations of traditional storage systems, providing ultra-low latency and linear scalability. By introducing a unique model called OPENCHOICE, Pavilion challenges conventional approaches to storage procurement and deployment. Founded in 2011, Pavilion Data Systems also has offices in Schiphol, the Netherlands, and Pune, India, and is recognized as a leader in a new category of storage appliances that aims to meet the ever-increasing demand for data throughput.
Radian Aerospace is innovating the aerospace sector with its next-generation spaceplane, which is the first fully reusable vehicle designed for horizontal takeoff and landing. This single-stage to orbit spacecraft aims to facilitate the transportation of people and light cargo to low Earth orbit as well as various terrestrial locations, operating in a manner similar to conventional aircraft. Radian's vehicles are constructed from advanced materials that can endure extreme conditions and are equipped with propulsion technologies that enhance maneuverability and overall performance. Additionally, they incorporate satellite systems that improve communication capabilities, thereby supporting enhanced missions and operational efficiency within the space industry.
Spartan Radar
Seed Round in 2021
Spartan Radar is a developer of advanced radar technology that creates high-resolution real-time radar imagery, utilizing proprietary software algorithms. The company's approach incorporates machine learning and edge-processing, mimicking human perceptual abilities to enhance the detection and response to obstacles. Spartan's platform improves the performance of existing advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) by increasing resolution, response time, and range, while maintaining affordability and minimizing computational demands. With a foundation built on decades of expertise in commercializing aerospace and automotive technologies, Spartan Radar provides cutting-edge radar solutions for various applications, including drones and vehicles.
Rescale, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in cloud-based platforms for scientific and engineering simulations. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Rescale offers a range of high-performance computing (HPC) solutions designed for various industries, including aerospace, automotive, consumer products, electronics, oil and gas, and life sciences. Its primary products include ScaleX Pro, which allows independent professionals and small to medium-sized businesses to conduct simulations, and ScaleX Enterprise, which provides a comprehensive simulation platform with integration capabilities for on-premise resources. The platform enables users to run simulations and artificial intelligence workloads on their preferred cloud infrastructure, utilizing customized hardware and software tailored to specific needs. Rescale serves over 300 customers, ranging from startups to large enterprises, helping accelerate design cycles and improve time to market through intelligent computing solutions. The company also operates offices in Tokyo, Munich, and Singapore.
Space Forge Limited is a company based in Bristol, United Kingdom, that specializes in the development of reusable satellites for manufacturing purposes. Founded in 2018, it focuses on creating advanced materials, including metals and crystals, that are not feasible to produce on Earth. By leveraging the unique conditions of space, Space Forge aims to manufacture super materials that enhance the efficiency of various industries, including computing, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. The company operates laboratories in Bristol and Wales, where it conducts research and development to support its mission of leading a clean industrial revolution through innovative manufacturing processes that reduce energy loss and carbon emissions.