Radar · Space Tech in California
Best Space Tech Companies in California, United States
The 174 best Space Tech companies in California, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: SpaceX.
By Riya SenguptaFinancials
174companies tracked
$18.8Bdisclosed funding
8unicorns
91have raised
Ranked: Best Space Tech companies in California
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founded | Founder | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SpaceX 🦄 Provider of advanced aerospace and space transportation services 87Funding top 11%Partners top 13%News top 16%Market top 18% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 11% Partnerstop 13% Newstop 16% Markettop 18% Moattop 20% Growthtop 30% Techtop 30% Talenttop 35% Producttop 38% Innovationtop 46% Globaltop 48% Funding: Raised $11.9B across 27 rounds · 27 rounds over 24 yrs (1.1/yr) Partners: 5 partnership announcements in 12 mo (7 in 24 mo) · 34 contract events in 12 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 87/100 | $11.9B | 3 mo ago | 13,612 13,612 → 20,010 (+47%) · sector median -13% | 2002 | Elon Musk Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 2 | Relativity Space 🦄 Provider of AI-powered 3D printed launch vehicles for small payloads 90Patents top 17%Funding top 20%Growth top 21%Innovation top 22% All 11 signals ▾Patentstop 17% Fundingtop 20% Growthtop 21% Innovationtop 22% Moattop 22% Talenttop 35% Markettop 36% Techtop 36% AItop 45% Globalbottom 42% Newsbottom 23% Patents: 124 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 107 filings since 2022 vs 17 in 2017-21 Funding: Raised $1.3B across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 10 yrs (0.7/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 90/100 | $1.3B | 17 mo ago | 631 | 2015 | Tim Ellis Co-Founder | 124 patents Advanced metal additive manufacturing, process control, and large‑scale component assembly | 1 job opening · 1 launch · 1 expansion |
| 3 | Astranis 🦄 Developer of satellite-based communication services 76Funding top 15%Product top 26%Moat top 26%Innovation top 27% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 15% Producttop 26% Moattop 26% Innovationtop 27% Growthtop 34% Talenttop 34% Markettop 40% Partnerstop 40% Techbottom 49% Globalbottom 39% Newsbottom 29% Funding: Raised $753M across 10 rounds · 10 rounds over 11 yrs (0.9/yr) Product: 3 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series E rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 76/100 | $753M | 1 mo ago | 195 | 2015 | Ryan McLinko Co-Founder | — | — |
| 4 | Rocket Lab Provider of launch services, spacecraft design, manufacturing, satellite components, and software | $693M | 27 mo ago | — | 2006 | Peter Beck Founder & CEO | — | 1 job opening · 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 5 | Vast Developer of commercial space stations designed for long-term space habitation 64Funding top 18%Growth top 35%Talent top 38%Tech top 45% All 7 signals ▾Fundingtop 18% Growthtop 35% Talenttop 38% Techtop 45% Moattop 48% Markettop 49% Globalbottom 39% Funding: Raised $500M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 1 yrs (2.0/yr) Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $500M | 3 mo ago | 192 | 2021 | Jed McCaleb Founder | — | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 6 | Planet 🦄 Provider of daily satellite imagery and geospatial data analytics services 62Funding top 16%Tech top 20%Moat top 28%Product top 35% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 16% Techtop 20% Moattop 28% Producttop 35% Newstop 37% Patentstop 39% Globaltop 40% Markettop 41% Innovationtop 47% Talentbottom 49% Growthbottom 38% Funding: Raised $484M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 15 yrs (0.7/yr) Tech: 88 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $484M | 9 mo ago | 25 | 2010 | Robbie Schingler Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer | 93 patents Satellite remote sensing: SAR imaging, HDR optics, antenna design, deployment mechanisms, RF interference mitigation | 3 launchs · 1 partnership |
| 7 | ABL Space Systems 🦄 Developer of containerized launch system and small satellite launch vehicle | $482M | 25 mo ago | 278 | 2017 | — | — | — |
| 8 | Spire Provider of space-based data, analytics, and space services using a large nanosatellite constellation in low… 64Partners top 17%Funding top 18%Moat top 29%Market top 30% All 13 signals ▾Partnerstop 17% Fundingtop 18% Moattop 29% Markettop 30% Patentstop 33% Talenttop 33% Newstop 37% Innovationtop 43% Techtop 44% Producttop 46% Globaltop 47% Growthbottom 45% Fin. healthbottom 45% Partners: 6 contract events in 12 mo · Named contractor/client in 6 deals Funding: Raised $246M across 18 rounds · 18 rounds over 13 yrs (1.4/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $246M | 2 mo ago | 132 | 2012 | Peter Platzer Founder & CEO | 147 patents Wearable physiological monitoring devices and low-cost satellite communication systems | 1 partnership |
| 9 | Capella Space Provider of satellite-based imaging solutions | $234M | 41 mo ago | 191 191 → 210 (+10%) · sector median -13% | 2016 | Frank Backes CEO | — | 3 launchs |
| 10 | Impulse Space Provider of affordable in-space payload delivery services | $225M | 13 mo ago | 84 | 2021 | Thomas Mueller Founder & CEO | — | 1 job opening · 1 partnership · 1 award |
| 11 | Loft Orbital 🦄 Provider of space mission launch services | $156M | 17 mo ago | 76 | 2016 | Pierre Vaujour Co-Founder & CEO | 7 patents On-orbit satellite servicing and spacecraft operational platforms | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 12 | SpinLaunch Provider of kinetic launch systems for small payloads | $150M | 10 mo ago | 63 63 → 51 (-19%) · sector median -13% | 2014 | Jonathan Yaney Founder & CEO | 39 patents Optimizing repeat ground tracks and kinetic circular launch accelerators for low‑cost orbital launches | 2 partnerships · 1 expansion |
| 13 | Varda Space Industries In-orbit material testing and manufacturing | $145M | 11 mo ago | 51 | 2020 | Trae Stephens Co-Founder | — | 4 job openings |
| 14 | Terran Orbital Provider of hardware for satellites | $144M | 43 mo ago | 660 660 → 419 (-37%) · sector median -13% | 2013 | Peter Krauss CEO | — | 1 job opening · 2 internships |
| 15 | Astra Provider of launch services and electric propulsion systems for spacecraft | $136M | 25 mo ago | 359 | 2016 | Adam London Co-Founder & CTO | — | — |
| 16 | LeoLabs Operator of a radar network providing orbital object tracking and intelligence | $129M | 11 mo ago | 116 | 2016 | Edward Lu Co-Founder & CTO | 98 patents Space situational awareness radar and phased‑array antenna technologies for tracking debris | 1 job opening · 1 launch |
| 17 | Apex 🦄 Manufacturer of configurable satellite platforms designed for various mission requirements | $118M | 9 mo ago | 35 | 2022 | Maximilian Benassi Co-Founder & CTO | 63 patents Deterministic real-time shared-memory communication and memory allocation for embedded systems | 1 launch · 2 partnerships · 1 award |
| 18 | Virgin Galactic Provider of space tourism solutions and services using own fleet | $100M | 53 mo ago | 805 805 → 986 (+22%) · sector median -13% | 2004 | Richard Branson Founder | — | — |
| 19 | Muon Space Provider of integrated satellite constellation technology stack for Earth intelligence missions | $92M | 10 mo ago | 61 | 2021 | Dan McCleese Co-Founder | — | 3 job openings · 2 launchs · 1 expansion |
| 20 | AstroForge Operator of spacecraft for deep space asteroid tracking and resource extraction | $56M | 22 mo ago | — | 2022 | Matthew Gialich Co-Founder & CEO | — | 1 launch |
| 21 | Xona Space Systems Developer of positioning, navigation, and timing infrastructure for connected systems 57Funding top 23%Talent top 23%Growth top 26%Moat top 39% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 23% Talenttop 23% Growthtop 26% Moattop 39% Techbottom 44% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 34% Newsbottom 18% Funding: Raised $55.0M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 6 yrs (1.3/yr) Talent: 5 named leaders on record · 5 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $55M | 2 mo ago | 41 | 2019 | Jerami M Co-Founder | — | — |
| 22 | Orbital Sidekick Platform offering space-based hyperspectral imaging and analysis solutions | $44M | 11 mo ago | 27 27 → 20 (-26%) · sector median -13% | 2016 | Tushar Prabhakar Co-Founder & COO | — | 1 job opening |
| 23 | Ramon.Space Provider of AI based supercomputing systems for space applications | $44M | 35 mo ago | 83 | 2004 | Dov Alon Co-Founder & VP Engineering | — | 1 job opening · 2 partnerships · 1 expansion |
| 24 | Morpheus Space Developer of electric propulsion systems for small satellite mobility solutions 50Talent top 28%Tech top 37%Funding top 39%Growth top 45% All 7 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Techtop 37% Fundingtop 39% Growthtop 45% Globalbottom 39% Moatbottom 38% Marketbottom 36% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated Tech: 26 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare, Google Cloud rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $43M | 4 mo ago | 38 | 2018 | Christian Schunk Electronics Manager & Co-Founder | — | 1 launch |
| 25 | Orbit Fab Provider of in-space refueling services and hardware for spacecraft operations 62Innovation top 23%Patents top 25%Moat top 30%Growth top 35% All 9 signals ▾Innovationtop 23% Patentstop 25% Moattop 30% Growthtop 35% Fundingtop 36% Marketbottom 45% Techbottom 45% Newsbottom 42% Globalbottom 42% Innovation: 46 patents (top 33% of patent-holders) · 35 filings since 2022 vs 11 in 2017-21 Patents: 46 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 35 filings since 2022 vs 11 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $43M | 3 mo ago | 100 100 → 93 (-7%) · sector median -13% | 2018 | — | 46 patents In-space fluid transfer, valve, propellant production, and fiducial marker technologies for spacecraft servicing | 1 launch |
| 26 | Reflect Orbital Space-based solar power generation solutions | $35M | 13 mo ago | 4 | 2021 | Tristan Semmelhack Co-Founder | — | 1 job opening |
| 27 | Momentus Space Developer of in-space transportation solutions | $34M | 8 mo ago | 103 103 → 61 (-41%) · sector median -13% | 2017 | — | 24 patents In-space microwave‑electrothermal propulsion and integrated thermal‑capacity management for satellite constellations | 4 job openings |
| 28 | Phase Four Manufacturer of propulsion systems for space applications | $31M | 17 mo ago | 29 | 2015 | — | 20 patents Advanced electric plasma propulsion systems for spacecraft | — |
| 29 | Starpath Developer of technology for in-situ resource utilization to produce rocket propellant | $14M | 23 mo ago | — | 2022 | Mihir Gondhalekar Co-Founder | — | — |
| 30 | Antaris Provider of cloud platform for satellite mission design, simulation, and operation | $14M | 3 mo ago | 11 | 2021 | Tom Barton Co-Founder & CEO | 14 patents On-orbit autonomous satellite recovery and software-defined space communication systems | 1 partnership |
| 31 | Sophia Space Developer of orbital compute and data centers powered by solar energy | $14M | 5 mo ago | — | 2025 | Brian Monnin Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer | — | — |
| 32 | Inversion Space Developer of autonomous reentry vehicles delivering payloads to ground surface | $10M | 18 mo ago | 20 | 2021 | Austin Briggs Co-Founder & CTO | — | 4 job openings · 1 partnership |
| 33 | Pythom Space Manufacturer of reusable rockets for space transportation system | $10M | 7 mo ago | 2 | 2020 | — | — | — |
| 34 | Argo Operator of water-propelled spacecraft providing in-space transportation and mobility services | $10M | 20 mo ago | 7 | 2022 | Kirby Carlisle Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer | 1,019 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | 2 launchs · 1 partnership |
| 35 | Orbital Operations Developer of maneuverable space vehicles for defense and repositioning capabilities | $10M | 10 mo ago | — | 2024 | Ross Doherty Co-Founder & COO | — | 1 internship |
| 36 | Catalyx space Provider of autonomous space labs and reusable capsules for in-orbit services | $7M | 10 mo ago | — | 2024 | Rifath Shaarook Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 37 | Continuum Space Systems Provider of mission management and simulation software for space programs | $6M | 18 mo ago | 17 | 2021 | Loic Chappaz Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer | — | — |
| 38 | Cascade Space Developer of software and a ground station network for space communications | $6M | 10 mo ago | — | 2025 | Jacob Portukalian Co-Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 39 | Array Labs Provider of high-quality 3D imagery on a global scale services | $5M | 5 mo ago | 10 | 2019 | Isaac Robledo Co-Founder | 68 patents Photovoltaic mounting, stowage, and protection systems for solar modules | 4 job openings |
| 40 | Helicity Space Developer of fusion propulsion engines for space vehicles and transports | $5M | 15 mo ago | — | 2018 | Marta Calvo Co-Founder & COO | — | — |
| 41 | Turion Space Developer of autonomous satellites for debris removal and situational awareness | $5M | 2 mo ago | 36 | 2020 | Tyler James Pierce Co-Founder | — | 3 job openings · 2 internships |
| 42 | Apolink Operator of a network providing real-time space communications connectivity services | $4M | 11 mo ago | — | 2024 | Onkar Batra Founder & CEO | — | 1 partnership |
| 43 | Proteus Space Manufacturer of electronic propulsion systems | $4M | 15 mo ago | 6 | 2021 | — | — | 2 job openings |
| 44 | Gimbal Space Manufacturer of components for modern satellites | $1M | 21 mo ago | — | 2023 | Dhaval Shiyani Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 45 | Initium Aerospace Developer of orbital class launch vehicle | $528K | 6 mo ago | — | 2024 | Conrad Scheibye Co-Founder | — | — |
| 46 | AxionOrbital Space Cloud-based no-code IDE offering planetary-scale data analysis and mission management for space applications | $500K | 5 mo ago | — | 2025 | Atharva Peshkar Co-Founder & CTO | — | — |
| 47 | Instinct Provider of navigation solutions for lunar missions | $500K | 15 mo ago | — | 2024 | Joe Papworth Co-Founder & VP of Engineering | — | 1 job opening · 1 partnership |
| 48 | CubeCab Launch Vehicles for CubeSats | $420K | 14 mo ago | 3 | 2014 | Adrian Tymes Founder & CEO | — | — |
| 49 | Heliospace Provider of component manufacturing platform of space solutions | $218K | 2 mo ago | — | 2018 | Paul Turin Co-Founder | — | 1 partnership |
Top 12 Space Tech companies in California
#1
SpaceX 🦄Series J · Hawthorne, California · founded 2002 · 13612 employees$11.9Braised▾
SpaceX 🦄
Series J · Hawthorne, California · founded 2002 · 13612 employees
Provider of advanced aerospace and space transportation services. It delivers advanced launch services using reusable rocket systems designed to transport crew and cargo for missions to orbit, the Moon, Mars, and deep space exploration. It also develops and operates large-scale satellite networks that provide high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity across the globe, including remote and underserved regions. It supports human spaceflight programs aimed at expanding long-duration space exploration and increasing access to space for both commercial and governmental missions.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 87how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 11%Partners
top 13%News
top 16%Market
top 18%Moat
top 20%Growth
top 30%Funding: Raised $11.9B across 27 rounds · 27 rounds over 24 yrs (1.1/yr) · Last round Series J (Mar 2026)
Partners: 5 partnership announcements in 12 mo (7 in 24 mo) · 34 contract events in 12 mo · Named contractor/client in 34 deals
News: 125 BI events in 12 mo (of 493 tracked, 16 types) · +102% YoY · 83 high-value events (IPO/M&A/funding/contracts) in 12 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 3.6M LinkedIn followers — 65.2% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Series J—
- Jan 2025Series J—
- Oct 2023Conventional Debt—
- Jan 2023Series J$750M
Founders & team
Investors
FCC, Legendary Ventures, Mirae Asset, NASA, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Founders Fund
Tech stack
AceAngularApple Icloud MailApple PayAzureAzure Front Door
#2
Astranis 🦄Series E · San Francisco, California · founded 2015 · 195 employees$753Mraised▾
Astranis 🦄
Series E · San Francisco, California · founded 2015 · 195 employees
Developer of satellite-based communication services. It provides users with a platform that develops small-sized, low-cost telecommunication satellites in the geostationary orbit and in a fixed location. It can provide internet connectivity as soon as the satellite is launched to rural areas and indigenous communities.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 76how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 15%Product
top 26%Moat
top 26%Innovation
top 27%Growth
top 34%Talent
top 34%Funding: Raised $753M across 10 rounds · 10 rounds over 11 yrs (0.9/yr) · Last round Series E (May 2026)
Product: 3 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series E
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 9/10 · Unicorn · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 55k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- May 2026Conventional Debt$155M
- May 2026Series E$300M
- Jul 2024Series D$200M
- Apr 2023Conventional Debt—
Founders & team
Investors
Venrock, Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, Fifty Years, Refactor Capital, TriplePoint Capital
Tech stack
Cart FunctionalityGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle Hosted LibrariesJqueryOpen Graph
#3
Acquired · San Francisco, California · founded 2012 · 132 employees$246.5Mraised▾
Acquired · San Francisco, California · founded 2012 · 132 employees
Provider of space-based data, analytics, and space services using a large nanosatellite constellation in low orbit. The company collects and processes radio-frequency and atmospheric signals to deliver actionable insights for weather and climate, aviation, maritime, government, and security use cases, including RF geolocation, flight tracking, ship tracking, and greenhouse gas monitoring. It also offers space-as-a-service solutions that let customers deploy custom payloads and dedicated constellations on its platform, with end-to-end manufacturing, ground station network, and constellation management tools accessible via APIs and dashboards.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 64how this company ranks against its industry peers
Partners
top 17%Funding
top 18%Moat
top 29%Market
top 30%Patents
top 33%Talent
top 33%Partners: 6 contract events in 12 mo · Named contractor/client in 6 deals · Marquee-customer mentions: top 13% of tracked companies
Funding: Raised $246M across 18 rounds · 18 rounds over 13 yrs (1.4/yr) · Last round Post IPO (Apr 2026)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 6/10 · IP moat: 147 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 68k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Diehl Defence) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Apr 2026Post IPO$70M
- Mar 2025Post IPO$40M
- Feb 2024Post IPO$10M
- Dec 2021Grant (prize money)$468K
Founders & team
Investors
Gov, Expon Capital, Luxembourg Future Fund, Scottish Enterprise, Signal Group, Grishin Robotics
Tech stack
Amazon CloudfrontAmazon Web ServicesApache Http ServerApple Icloud MailAutoptimizeBootstrap
#4
Series A · Long Beach, California · founded 2021 · 192 employees$500Mraised▾
Series A · Long Beach, California · founded 2021 · 192 employees
Developer of commercial space stations designed for long-term space habitation. The company is focused on building space stations and advancing technologies for living and working in space. It develops hardware and systems for space station modules, including primary structures, solar arrays, and environmental control systems. The company aims to provide platforms for government astronaut missions, private astronaut missions, and payload missions.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 64how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 18%Growth
top 35%Talent
top 38%Tech
top 45%Moat
top 48%Market
top 49%Funding: Raised $500M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 1 yrs (2.0/yr) · Last round Conventional Debt (Mar 2026)
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Audience (LinkedIn): 105k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 1 partnerships (incl. UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute, Auxilium Biotechnologies, LambdaVision, Inc.) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Conventional Debt$200M
- Mar 2026Series A$300M
- Nov 2025Seed—
Founders & team
Investors
In-Q-Tel, Balerion Space Ventures, Qatar Investment Authority, Mitsui, MUFG, Nikon
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCart FunctionalityCloudflareCookieyesDocusignDropbox
#5
Series C · Burlingame, California · founded 2019 · 41 employees$55Mraised▾
Series C · Burlingame, California · founded 2019 · 41 employees
Developer of positioning, navigation, and timing infrastructure for connected systems. The company delivers a new layer of precision and resilience to power systems. It offers a software development kit designed for developers and compatible with receivers and chipsets. The company provides secure positioning for applications ranging from geospatial to IoT.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 57how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 23%Talent
top 23%Growth
top 26%Moat
top 39%Tech
bottom 44%Global
bottom 39%Funding: Raised $55.0M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 6 yrs (1.3/yr) · Last round Series C (Mar 2026)
Talent: 5 named leaders on record · 5 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Growth: Headcount 22 → 41 (+86%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 15k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Series C$170M
- Jun 2025Grant (prize money)$20M
- Jun 2025Series B$74.6M
- Apr 2024Series A$30.7M
Founders & team
Investors
1517 Fund, Trucks Venture Capital, Seraphim, Stellar Solutions, Capital Innovators, Missouri Technology
Tech stack
Framer SitesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle Tag ManagerHstsHttp/3
#6
Planet 🦄Public · San Francisco, California · founded 2010 · 25 employees$483.6Mraised▾
Planet 🦄
Public · San Francisco, California · founded 2010 · 25 employees
Provider of daily satellite imagery and geospatial data analytics services. The organization offers high-frequency imagery, mosaics, on-demand tasking, and analytic feeds. It transforms imagery into insights, providing data for monitoring, change detection, and analysis. The company delivers data products and cloud-based tools, offering solutions across various industries.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 62how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 16%Tech
top 20%Moat
top 28%Product
top 35%News
top 37%Patents
top 39%Funding: Raised $484M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 15 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Post IPO (Sep 2025)
Tech: 88 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 · Devops: Envoy, Nginx
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 6/10 · IP moat: 93 patents · Unicorn
Audience (LinkedIn): 162k LinkedIn followers — 2.9% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 3 product launches · 1 partnerships (incl. Isar Aerospace) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2025Post IPO$460M
- Jan 2021Grant (prize money)$816.9K
- Jul 2019Series D—
- Feb 2019Series D$168M
Founders & team
Investors
Europa, EDBI, O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Lux Capital, Felicis Ventures, Industry Ventures
Tech stack
AddsearchAmazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailBabel
#7
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2018 · 100 employees$42.7Mraised▾
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2018 · 100 employees
Provider of in-space refueling services and hardware for spacecraft operations. The company develops fuel shuttles that deliver fuel to spacecraft equipped with its refueling interface. Mission planning software optimizes refueling logistics. The company builds flight-proven hardware to create a commercial spacecraft refueling service.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 62how this company ranks against its industry peers
Innovation
top 23%Patents
top 25%Moat
top 30%Growth
top 35%Funding
top 36%Market
bottom 45%Innovation: 46 patents (top 33% of patent-holders) · 35 filings since 2022 vs 11 in 2017-21 · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware
Patents: 46 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 35 filings since 2022 vs 11 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 46 patents · 5 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 27k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Series B$20M
- Jul 2025Series B—
- Apr 2023Series A$28.5M
- Sep 2021Series A$10M
Investors
Techstars, 8090 Industries, Stride Capital, Industrious Ventures, Lockheed Martin, Tribe Capital
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementFancyboxGoogle Font ApiHsts
#8
Series E · Inglewood, California · founded 2015 · 631 employees$1.3Braised▾
Series E · Inglewood, California · founded 2015 · 631 employees
Provider of AI-powered 3D printed launch vehicles for small payloads. Its launch vehicle is developed using a proprietary metal 3D printer, and uses a combination of oxygen and methane as propellants. It uses AI and autonomous robotics technologies to develop launch vehicles that can deploy satellites in lower earth orbitals. It can deploy and resupply satellite constellations into space in less time and cost.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 90how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 17%Funding
top 20%Growth
top 21%Innovation
top 22%Moat
top 22%Talent
top 35%Patents: 124 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 107 filings since 2022 vs 17 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Funding: Raised $1.3B across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 10 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Angel (Jan 2025)
Growth: Headcount 265 → 631 (+138%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 229k LinkedIn followers — 4.1% of this cohort's audience · 406 engagements/post (4.8× cohort median)
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Terran R structures
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 1 expansions announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jan 2025Angel—
- Jun 2021Series E$650M
- Nov 2020Series D$500M
- Oct 2019Series C$140M
Founders & team
Investors
Y Combinator, USC, Stanford University, Social Capital, Fidelity Investments, BlackRock
Tech stack
AngularApple Icloud MailApple PayCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-Js
#9
Series A · El Segundo, California · founded 2018 · 38 employees$43Mraised▾
Series A · El Segundo, California · founded 2018 · 38 employees
Developer of electric propulsion systems for small satellite mobility solutions. The company’s propulsion system offers satellite mobility throughout the mission lifetime. It provides a modular propulsion unit designed to support a range of spacecraft. The system is engineered with redundancy to maximize operational uptime and reliability. It utilizes a metallic propellant that ensures zero leakage.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 50how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 28%Tech
top 37%Funding
top 39%Growth
top 45%Global
bottom 39%Moat
bottom 38%Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Tech: 26 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare, Google Cloud · Observability: Microsoft Clarity, Sentry
Funding: Raised $43.0M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 4 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Series A (Feb 2026)
Audience (LinkedIn): 15k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Feb 2026Series A$15M
- Sep 2022Series A$28M
Founders & team
Investors
Alpine Space, Morpheus Ventures, VSquared Ventures, Lavrock Ventures, Airbus Ventures, In-Q-Tel
Tech stack
BootstrapCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-JsGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Cloud
#10
Series C · Long Beach, California · founded 2014 · 63 employees$150Mraised▾
Series C · Long Beach, California · founded 2014 · 63 employees
Provider of kinetic launch systems for small payloads using catapult technology. It develops electric-powered kinetic launchers that use centrifugal spinning to launch satellites from Earth into space without using chemical propellants and booster rockets. It uses the rotational acceleration method by harnessing angular momentum to accelerate the vehicle to hypersonic speeds into outer orbits. It also provides the power needed to launch the cargo that is equipped with supplemental rockets.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 40k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 1 product launches · 3 partnerships · 1 expansions (incl. KONGSBERG) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jul 2025Series C$32M
- Nov 2024Series B$12M
- Sep 2022Conventional Debt—
- Sep 2022Series B$71.1M
Founders & team
Investors
Lauder Partners, Kleiner Perkins, Google Ventures, Airbus Ventures, Catapult Ventures, Neotribe
Tech stack
BootstrapCdnjsCloudflareFullpage.JsGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Cloud
#11
Apex 🦄Series D · Los Angeles, California · founded 2022 · 35 employees$118.5Mraised▾
Apex 🦄
Series D · Los Angeles, California · founded 2022 · 35 employees
Manufacturer of configurable satellite platforms designed for various mission requirements. The company offers productized bus platforms to increase reliability and accelerate mission timelines. These platforms are designed with built-in configurability to meet specific mission needs. The company focuses on speed and scale to support faster time-to-orbit. End-to-end mission services are available to simplify the path to orbit.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 25k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 1 product launches · 2 partnerships · 1 awards (incl. Northrop Grumman) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Aug 2025Series D$200M
- Apr 2025Series C$200M
- May 2024Series B$95M
- Jun 2023Series A$16M
Founders & team
Investors
Andreessen Horowitz, Village Global, Lux Capital, XYZ Venture Capital, J2 Ventures, Shield Capital
Tech stack
Amazon SesAmazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailCloudflareGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Tag Manager
#12
Series A · Los Altos, California · founded 2021 · 11 employees$14.2Mraised▾
Series A · Los Altos, California · founded 2021 · 11 employees
Provider of cloud platform for satellite mission design, simulation, and operation. The platform supports various payloads, buses, and missions, including ground segments. It enables government and commercial operators to build, launch, and operate constellations. The platform facilitates performance optimization across complex, multi-vendor architectures. It offers solutions for designing and customizing satellites. The platform allows users to simulate missions using hardware and software configurations. It provides a solution for space vehicle software, which can integrate existing software.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 6k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 1 partnerships (incl. Transcelestial) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Series A$28M
- Sep 2023Seed$10M
- Aug 2022Seed$4.2M
Founders & team
Investors
Acequia Capital, Possible Ventures, Lockheed Martin, HCVC, E2MC, Ananth Technologies
Tech stack
AccessibeAngularApple Icloud MailCart FunctionalityCore-JsGodaddy
Funding & investor landscape
$18.8Btotal disclosed funding
91companies funded
307disclosed rounds
6rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Y Combinator16 rounds
Techstars10 rounds
Notable founders
Elon Musk
Co-Founder & CEO · SpaceX
Ryan McLinko
Co-Founder · Astranis
John Gedmark
Co-Founder & CEO · Astranis
Peter Platzer
Founder & CEO · Spire
Jeroen Cappaert
Co-Founder & CTO · Spire
Jed McCaleb
Founder · Vast
Max Haot
CEO · Vast
Jerami M
Co-Founder · Xona Space Systems
Paul Tarantino
Co-Founder · Xona Space Systems
Robbie Schingler
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer · Planet
Tim Ellis
Co-Founder · Relativity Space
Christian Schunk
Electronics Manager & Co-Founder · Morpheus Space
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 18,605,293 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Space Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
RESEARCH IN CALIFORNIA · Space & Defense
How research on Space Tech in California is moving
A read on the academic research around Space Tech in California — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 1,216 papers.
Caltech, UC Berkeley, and UCLA lead California's space-tech research, dominantly exploring astrophysics and planetary science with an optimistic tone toward breakthroughs and advancements.
1216 papers · stance +0.35 · 38% breakthrough · 19% concern
top institutions
- California Institute of Technology445
- University of California, Berkeley266
- University of California, Los Angeles232
- California Polytechnic State University91
- University of Southern California50
leading researchers
C. M. S. Cohen · S. D. Bale · A. R. Poppe · Angelopoulos, Vassilis · V. Angelopoulos · J. W. Bonnell
prism intelligence · tone & topics
84% positive · 1% critical tone
Space ExplorationAstronomyCosmologyRoboticsPhysicsAerospace
▲
Breakthroughs306 · 25%
▼ 26%→25% share
▲1.0× share momentum6 median citations49% since 2021mostly methods-led
Jupiter rocket-family research surged fourfold (7→29 papers), signaling rapid launch-vehicle development breakthroughs in California space tech.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Jupiter (rocket family)7→29
- Astrobiology9→25
- Spacecraft42→57
- Astronomy6→17
- Aerospace engineering12→22
Newly emergingScalability 0→7 · Orbit (dynamics) 0→6 · Icy moon 0→5
Landmark The Solar Probe Plus Mission: Humanity’s First Visit to Our Star · 1,247 cites
◆
Advancements343 · 28%
▼ 28%→24% share
▼0.9× share momentum3 median citations43% since 2021mostly methods-led
Spacecraft advancements are intensifying — papers rose from 46 to 70, leading all advancement sub-topics by a wide margin.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Aerospace engineering8→33
- Spacecraft46→70
- CubeSat9→20
- Propulsion1→7
- Astrobiology9→14
Newly emergingRendezvous 0→5 · New horizons 0→5 · Actuator 0→4
Landmark Detecting Spacecraft Anomalies Using LSTMs and Nonparametric Dynamic Thresholding · 1,269 cites
▼
Concerns151 · 12%
12%→12% share
▲1.0× share momentum3 median citations48% since 2021mostly empirical
Mars Exploration Program concerns are newly intensifying — papers jumped sevenfold (1→7), with Atmosphere of Mars emerging as a brand-new worry.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Spacecraft16→34
- Astronomy2→11
- Astrobiology6→12
- Mars Exploration Program1→7
- Solar wind3→8
Newly emergingCosmic ray 0→3 · Geology 0→3 · Atmosphere of Mars 0→3
Landmark Tracking Dynamic Northern Surface Water Changes with High-Frequency Planet CubeSat Imagery · 213 cites
Common questions
How many Space Tech companies are there in California, United States?
Radar tracks 174 indexable Space Tech companies headquartered in California, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Space Tech companies in California, United States?
The Space Tech companies in California, United States on this list have raised a combined $18.8B in disclosed equity funding across 91 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Space Tech company in California, United States?
SpaceX is the highest-funded Space Tech company in California, United States, with $11.9B in disclosed equity funding.
How many Space Tech companies in California, United States are funded?
91 of the 174 Space Tech companies in California, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Space Tech unicorns are there in California, United States?
8 Space Tech companies in California, United States on this list are valued at $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in California, United States Space Tech companies?
The most active investors in California, United States Space Tech companies on this list include Y Combinator, NASA, Techstars, In-Q-Tel, Starburst.
Riya SenguptaFinancials
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.