Nebular Venture Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm.

Nebular

Sequoia is a venture capital focused on energy, financial, enterprise, healthcare, internet, and mobile startups. The firm helps a small number of daring founders build legendary companies. It spurs them to push the boundaries of what’s possible. The firm seeks to invest in all sectors with a focus on energy, financials and financial services, healthcare and healthcare services, Internet, mobile, outsourcing, and technology.

Sequoia Capital

Plug and Play is a seed and early-stage investor focused on great teams leading emerging growth companies.  Plug and Play runs 12 industry-specific accelerator programs twice a year, that acts as a platform for major corporations and high quality startups to connect and collaborate.  Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Plug and Play participates in Seed, Angel and Series A funding where they often co-invest with their strategic partners. Through years of experience and as part of their network, Plug and Play has put together a world-class network of serial entrepreneurs, strategic investors, and industry leaders who actively assist the firm with its successful and growing investment portfolio.  SEED ROUND. Plug and Play participates in seed round investing through a program called Startup Camp. Startup Camp is a 10-week program based in Silicon Valley for top-notch entrepreneurs to work intensively on building out their business model. Select startups will refine their business models and prototypes with help from a combination of structured workshops, speaker series and mentorship sessions, as well as active coaching from their investment team. At the culmination of Startup Camp, founders will have crystalized their business plans and pitched their company to the venture capital community at EXPO Demo Day.''  ANGEL ROUND Plug and Play makes angel round investments throughout the year, sourced from their monthly Plug and Play Angels (PAPA) sessions. They are partnered with local angel investors in Silicon Valley who participate in PAPA to find the most promising startups and best new technologies.  SERIES A. Series A typical Series A round is in the range of $2 million to $10 million, and is intended to provide operating capital for the company for six months to two years. This round capitalizes the company as it develops its products, performs initial marketing and branding, acquires talent, and conducts other early-stage business operations. It is in this stage that Plug and Play will co-invest with over 180 venture capital partners.  Plug and Play has helped grow market leaders such as PayPal, Danger, Google, DropBox, LendingClub, Zoosk, SoundHound, CreditSesame, Skytree, and has over 400 more early-stage startups in its portfolio.

Plug and Play

Caffeinated Capital is a technology venture capital firm that partners with founders at the inception stage and invest throughout the life of the company.

Caffeinated Capital

Sterling Road is a venture capital firm that invests in pre-seed stage B2B startups. They provide ongoing coaching, fundraising introductions, hiring help, and additional capital for their later rounds.

Sterling Road

Everywhere Ventures (fka ''The Fund'') is a first-of-its-kind early-stage venture fund created ​by founders for founders​ to support the next generation of entrepreneurs. Everywhere Ventures is a community-powered venture investing platform that integrates the capital, expertise, and mentoring of experienced founders and operators across ten micro funds. The Fund's $70M+ under management comes almost exclusively from the over 500 founders and operators who are its limited partners. Everywhere Ventures operates from the belief that those who have actually built successful companies are best suited to advise and support early-stage startups. Everywhere Ventures invests in pre-seed deals globally usually in the first financing round the company raises. Emphasis is placed on purpose-driven teams across money, health and work verticals.

Everywhere Ventures

Tiny VC

Pareto Holdings is an early-stage investment vehicle founded by Jon Oringer and Edward Lando. We execute on dozens of investments per month and are often the first to back exceptional entrepreneurs. We are industry and geography agnostic, and specialize in pre-seeding companies. We’ve made 500+ investments to date. Unlike others, we only invest our own money with a small and mighty team around the world.

Pareto Holdings

Foreword Ventures is an early-stage micro fund backing startups throughout their initial chapters. Foreword commits to adding value far beyond the small checks they write by devoting time, reputation, and capital to clients' success. Foreword typically invests in the pre-seed and seed stages, but can also invest in Series A and beyond when there is an existing relationship with the founder or co-investor.

Foreword Ventures

At Other People's Capital, we are passionate about finding and supporting the next generation of groundbreaking companies. We specialize in assisting early-stage firms with innovative ideas that have the potential to create entirely new categories of enterprise. Our team has a track record of success in identifying and supporting the growth of companies that go on to become leaders in their industries. If you have a revolutionary idea and are looking for a partner to help turn it into a successful business, we would love to hear from you.

Other People's Capital (OPC)

Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that invests in a large number of startups twice a year. It created a new model for funding startups. Twice a year, the company invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups. The startup accelerator works intensively with the companies for three months, to get them into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day when the startups present their companies to a carefully selected, invite-only audience.

Y Combinator

Lumen Orbit

Lumen Orbit is building a network of megawatt-scale data centers in space. Falling launch costs allow Lumen Orbit to take advantage of the abundant energy, passive cooling, and high-speed connectivity in space.

Lumen Orbit is a Washington-based startup that aims to establish a constellation of orbital data centers to provide in-space edge processing capabilities. The company emerged from stealth in March 2024.

Lumen Orbit raises $2.4M to put data centers in space

Lumen Orbit Raises $2.4M Investment to Pioneer In-Space Data Processing

Lumen Orbit Exits Stealth and Secures $2.4M for Space Data Centers

Lumen Orbit raises $2.4m for space data centers

Lumen Orbit emerges from stealth and raises $2.4M to put data centers in space

Lumen Orbit Raises $2.4M to Speed Up Downlink

Technology providers that enhance satellite operations

Next-gen Satellites

Lumen Orbit wants to deploy data centers in space

NVIDIA

To develop AI data centers in space powered by Nvidia's AI processing technology and solar energy, enabling sustainable and scalable large-scale AI systems.

Satellite companies that offer location-based intelligence, navigation, mapping, spatial awareness, and data analytics services

Lumen Orbit is a Bellevue, Washington-based startup founded in December 2023 that aims to establish a constellation of orbital data centers to provide in-space edge processing capabilities. The company plans to deploy around 300 satellites in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) at an altitude of approximately 315 kilometers. These satellites will be equipped with onboard GPUs and AI models to process raw data collected by other satellites before downlinking the extracted insights to customers on Earth. This approach aims to save bandwidth, reduce costs, and minimize latency associated with downlinking large amounts of raw data.Lumen Orbit's technology works by having other satellites transmit their collected raw data to the company's constellation. The onboard GPUs and AI models then process this data, extracting relevant insights, which are subsequently downlinked to the customers. This innovative approach positions Lumen Orbit as a potential solution for real-time or near-real-time downlinking, addressing the challenges faced by Earth observation constellations and other satellite operators that generate vast amounts of data.The company plans to launch its first 60-kilogram demonstrator satellite in May 2025 as a rideshare payload aboard a SpaceX Falcon nine rocket. As of March 2024, Lumen Orbit has secured memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth over USD 30 million and has a paying customer lined up for the initial demonstrator mission.Key customers and partnershipsLumen Orbit has established partnerships with Ansys and Solidworks for satellite design and development efforts. The company is also in the process of filing applications with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for regulatory compliance.As of March 2024, Lumen Orbit has secured several MOUs worth over USD 30 million and had an undisclosed paying customer lined up for its initial satellite demonstrator mission in 2025.&nbsp;

Lumen Orbit is a Washington-based startup that aims to establish a constellation of orbital data centers to provide in-space edge processing capabilities. The company emerged from stealth in March 2024.As of September 2024, Lumen Orbit planned to deploy around 300 satellites in very low-Earth orbit (VLEO) at an altitude of ~315 km. These satellites would be equipped with onboard GPUs and AI models to process raw data collected by other satellites before downlinking the extracted insights to customers on Earth. The approach is aimed to save bandwidth, reduce costs, and minimize latency associated with downlinking large amounts of raw data.Lumen Orbit's technology works by having other satellites transmit their collected raw data to the company's satellite constellation. The onboard GPUs and AI models then process this data, extracting relevant insights, which are subsequently downlinked to the customers. This innovative approach positions Lumen Orbit as a potential solution for real-time or near-real-time downlinking, addressing challenges faced by Earth observation constellations and other satellite operators that generate vast amounts of data.As of 2024, Lumen Orbit had plans to launch its first one-year mission for its 60-kilogram demonstrator satellite in May 2025 as a rideshare payload aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. As of March 2024, the company had also filed applications with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for regulatory compliance.Key customers and partnershipsLumen Orbit established partnerships with software engineering company Ansys and with 3D software tools provider Solidworks in March 2024 for satellite design and development efforts.&nbsp;In&nbsp;<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/35375">October 2024</a>, the company collaborated with NVIDIA for the Inception program to receive access to NVIDIA's expertise in AI and computing infrastructure.As of March 2024, Lumen Orbit has secured several MOUs worth over USD 30 million and had an undisclosed paying customer lined up for its initial satellite demonstrator mission in 2025.

SpinLaunch is a space technology company developing a kinetic launch system to provide low-cost and high-frequency access to space. Unlike traditional fuel-based rockets, SpinLaunch's system utilizes a ground-based, electric-powered centrifuge to accelerate payloads to hypersonic speeds before releasing them into the atmosphere. Its solution is capable of putting 200 kg-class satellites into low orbit. The firm claims this method significantly reduces environmental impact by ~95% compared to conventional rocket launches. Its electric-drive Orbital accelerator offers a revolutionary approach to space travel and significantly reduces the fuel needed to reach orbit by 4x, mitigates costs by 10x, and enables multiple launches per day.Suborbital Accelerator operates at speeds between 800 miph and 5,000 miph, and primarily serves as a testing platform for the Orbital Launch System. It allows customers to conduct tests and serves as a facility for long-term satellite qualification. The company’s first major milestone was the successful test of its suborbital accelerator at Spaceport America in New Mexico in October 2021, where a projectile was launched tens of thousands of feet at 20% power capacity. SpinLaunch also planned to launch small satellites into low-Earth orbit by 2026.SpinLaunch has also created a new type of highly affordable satellite. It claims that applying mass manufacturing techniques and simplifying the supply chain reduces costs without compromising performance. SpinLaunch’s satellites are specifically designed for mass accelerators but are also compatible with traditional launch systems and serve a variety of use cases, such as surveillance broadcasts, Internet of things (IoT), machine-to-machine communication (M2M), and emergency communication platforms.<h3>Key customers and partnerships</h3>In September 2023, SpinLaunch partnered with Sumitomo Corporation (Japan) for the global expansion of affordable and sustainable space services. SpinLaunch has also attracted significant interest and formed strategic partnerships with major organizations, including ATW Partners, Kleiner Perkins, and GV. In 2019, the Department of Defense signed a "launch prototype contract" with SpinLaunch to provide reliable and cost-effective launch services​.Funding and financialsIn September 2022, SpinLaunch secured USD 71 million in a Series B funding round led by ATW Partners to continue developing its launch system and satellite technologies​. In January 2020, the company raised USD 35 million from venture capitalists to aid the development of its kinetic launch system.

SpinLaunch

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 Rocket Lab is a global leader in launch services and space systems, offering a comprehensive range of solutions from satellite manufacturing to orbital launches. The company's primary launch vehicle, Electron, has become the second most frequently launched US rocket annually, having delivered over 190 satellites to orbit for various commercial and government partners. Electron is capable of carrying payloads of up to 300 kilograms to low Earth orbit. In addition to Electron, Rocket Lab has developed HASTE, a suborbital hypersonic launch vehicle.
 
 
 
 
 Rocket Lab is currently developing Neutron, an advanced 13-tonne payload class reusable launch vehicle designed for constellation deployment and interplanetary missions. The company successfully conducted the first hot fire test of its Archimedes engine in August 2024, which will power Neutron's first stage. Neutron's unique design encapsulates its second stage within a reusable first stage with an integrated payload fairing. Rocket Lab aims to launch Neutron by mid-2025, potentially marking the fastest time to market for a commercially developed medium-class launch vehicle.
 
 
 
 
 Beyond launch services, Rocket Lab has established itself as a premier supplier of advanced satellites, flight-proven subsystems, and spacecraft components. The company's technology spans various areas, including space solar power, composite structures, flight software, star trackers, reaction wheels, and separation systems. As of August 2024, Rocket Lab's satellite technology and components have been integrated into more than 1,700 satellite missions globally. In the second quarter of 2024, Rocket Lab reported record revenue of USD 106.3 million, representing a 71% year-over-year increase.
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 
 Rocket Lab has secured partnerships with several high-profile customers and organizations. The company has conducted multiple launches for NASA, including the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon in 2022 and the upcoming ESCAPADE mission to Mars. In August 2024, Rocket Lab delivered two spacecraft for the ESCAPADE mission to Cape Canaveral.
 
 
 
 
 Rocket Lab has also established a strong relationship with Capella Space, having completed five missions for the company since August 2020. In August 2024, Rocket Lab successfully launched Capella Space's Acadia-3 satellite, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, into orbit. Additionally, the company has partnered with the University of California Berkeley's Space Science Laboratory to build spacecraft for NASA missions.
 
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Rocket Lab

Italy-based D-Orbit specializes in end-to-end solutions for satellite deployment, in-space transportation, and in-orbit servicing through its proprietary orbital transfer vehicle, the ION Satellite Carrier. The company asserts that the ION Satellite Carrier enables efficient satellite deployment by reducing the time from launch to operations by up to 85% and potential cost savings of up to 40%. It is also the first certified B-Corp space company in the world. As at June 2024, D-Orbit conducted its launches from the US and had completed 13 orbital transportation missions, deployed 100 satellites and 44 hosted payloads, with its next launch planned for July 2024.D-Orbit's services include (1) launch and deployment of satellites, (2) in-orbit services, (3) mission control as a service, (4) advanced services, and (5) systems and components.D-Orbit's launch and deployment services cater to small satellite operators with turnkey solutions that cover various phases of a satellite's lifecycle and includes offerings such as (1) Rideshare, which uses third-party compatible launchers for standard orbit deployment, (2) Precision Deployment, which uses the ION Satellite Carrier for customized orbit placement, and (3) Constellation Deployment, which phases satellite constellations using the ION carrier for optimal orbital placement. Additional services include insurance, mission analysis, onboard software development, and specialized transportation​.For Satellite management, D-Orbit offers a cloud-based mission control software suite named Aurora, which is designed for satellite operators and features a customizable web interface for telemetry, trajectory updates, and telecommands, along with 2D/3D orbit visualization. Operators can control satellites from any location and outsource mission control tasks to D-Orbit, reducing operational costs.The company also offers in-orbit maintenance services, which include satellite transportation, lifetime extension, in-orbit assembly and refurbishment, manufacturing, resupply, recycling, relocation, inspection, and debris removal.D-Orbit also offers advanced services such as the (1) ION Hosted Payload Service for swift payload deployment for testing and experiments, the (2) D-Orbit Cloud Platform for in-orbit data computing, and the (3) Satellite as a Service (SaaS) model exemplified by projects like IRIDE, offering satellite-based services without requiring customer-owned infrastructure. The IRIDE satellite constellation project is financed by the Italian PNRR (National Plan for Recovery and Resilience) and supported by the ESA (European Space Agency) and ASI (Italian Space Agency). IRIDE aims to provide advanced earth observation data for the Italian public administration and will offer services related to marine and coastal monitoring, air quality, land movement monitoring, land cover, hydro weather climate, and more. Satellite launches for the constellation are planned between 2025 and 2026.D-Orbit's Systems and Components division provides a suite of hardware components and software solutions for satellite operations, including the AOCS Suite, a modular Attitude and Orbit Control System designed for satellite stabilization and control, alongside the D-Sense multi-sensor ADCS module for precise satellite positioning. Additionally, its product lineup features specialized systems such as SimOn for safe rocket motor ignition, D3, a decommissioning device for satellite disposal, and D-Raise, a propulsion system engineered for efficient orbit raising, among others.Key customers and partnershipsKey customers include the European Space Agency (ESA), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Planet Labs, the University of Southern California, Brown University School of Engineering, Spaceflight, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace &amp; Defense (EBAD), and TelePIX, a South Korean space startup.Notable partnerships include its tie-up with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/26250">SpaceX </a>to launch its ION Satellite Carrier missions on <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/26250">SpaceX</a> transporters. D-Orbit has also partnered with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/404857">Leaf Space</a> and AWS Ground Station to provide global coverage for its mission control software suite Aurora. Other partnerships include a collaboration with Starfish Space for orbital rendezvous missions, ​HyImpulse Technologies for a joint launch and deployment mission, MetaSensing for collaboration on the IRIDE project, and with SkyServe STORM to integrate edge computing functionalities within the SkyServe STORM platform, enabling the processing of live Earth observation data from D-Orbit's resources into inferences directly in space.

D-Orbit

Phantom Space Corporation is a space services company providing all-in-one capabilities for satellite manufacturing and launch services to commercial and government clients.Phantom Space caters to launch services primarily using its launch vehicle, Daytona Rocket, which is a two-stage system designed to carry payloads of up to 450 kg, including satellites and other space cargo into low-Earth orbit (LEO), for less than USD 4 million per launch. In addition to the Daytona, Phantom Space was developing the larger Laguna rocket, scheduled for launch in 2025, to be powered by a combination of Ripley and Hadley engines produced by Ursa Major to increase payload capacity to 1,200 kg for LEO missions at USD 8 million per launch.In November 2022, the company achieved a major milestone by conducting a successful 60-second hot fire test of the Daytona's Pathfinder test stage at Spaceport America in New Mexico, validating approximately 75% of the vehicle's systems in a flight-realistic condition.The company also provides solutions for designing, manufacturing, and operating small satellites, ranging from single CubeSats to constellations of ESPA-class spacecraft. As of May 2024, Phantom Space had 46 satellite and spacecraft programs successfully executed, while three were currently in progress.As of June 2023, the company aimed to offer affordable access to space through its proprietary rocket and satellite designs. To this end, Phantom Space aimed to employ mass production techniques to reduce costs and increase the frequency of space access for government and commercial entities. Key customers and partnershipsIn May 2023, Phantom Space signed a launch services agreement with Quub, a satellite manufacturer, for three dedicated launches in 2025.In November 2022, Phantom Space secured task orders from NASA for the agency's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) missions program. The orders involved launching four CubeSat satellites on the second and fourth Daytona rocket flights from Vandenberg Space Force Base, planned for 2024.

Phantom Space

Beyond Earth builds small rockets to provide dedicated CubeSat launches to low-earth-orbit on short notice.

Beyond Earth

Companies that offer launch capabilities to get satellites into orbit, including last-mile delivery of satellites and value-added services including launch mission planning and execution

Companies that provide satellite management services once they are deployed

Includes companies that develop satellite buses and payloads for mini, micro and nano systems

Companies that manufacture components for mini, micro, nano, and picosatellite systems

Use of autonomous robotics in the production process, specially in the miniature satellite segments

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

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 Lumen Orbit, an in-space Edge processing capabilities provider, has raised over USD 10 million in a seed funding round. Participating from Y Combinator's startup accelerator, the Washington-based company has also established a partnership with NVIDIA and enrolled in its Inception program.
 The raised capital will be channeled towards developing Lumen's AI-enabled data centers in orbit, with the first batch of demonstration satellites set to be launched in 2025.
 This collaboration with NVIDIA under the Inception program grants Lumen Orbit access to NVIDIA's knowledge in AI and computer infrastructure. This tie-up is expected to play a critical role in Lumen Orbit's objective of deploying AI data centers in orbit with NVIDIA processing chips.
 Lumen Orbit believes that its space-based data centers can supply energy at 22x lower costs than existing ones. It estimates an initial spend of USD 8.2 million for deploying a 40 MW data center, against a decade-long cost of USD 167 million for an on-earth facility.
 
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Lumen Orbit

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