Best Space Tech Companies in United Kingdom
The 124 best Space Tech companies in United Kingdom in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: OneWeb.
Space Tech companies in the United Kingdom have rarely looked this active, and this directory ranks 124 of them by disclosed equity funding and recent funding momentum. Total disclosed capital across the cohort sits at $5.5B, with Orbex leading individual raises at $133M and SatVu pulling in $69M. One unicorn has emerged from the pack. And median install growth across defense and space apps is running at roughly +17% year-on-year, a signal that end-user engagement is tracking the funding curve pretty closely. Investors are paying attention too: Gov, Seraphim, and 7percent Ventures are among the most active backers in the directory, which tells you something about the blend of public and private conviction behind UK space right now.
So what's driving the broader momentum? Global deal flow is clearly accelerating, with Digantara's $50M Series B and Piersight's satellite oceanic surveillance push both landing in recent months, reinforcing that space infrastructure is attracting serious capital well beyond the US. I'd argue the UK cohort sits squarely in that current. Smaller names like Space Forge ($21M) and Spaceflux ($12M) are still finding funding, which suggests the pipeline isn't narrowing to just the biggest players. The sector is live, moving, and worth watching closely this quarter.
Ranked: Best Space Tech companies in United Kingdom
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OneWeb 🦄 Provider of satellite based communication solutions 53Funding top 25%Moat top 31%Partners top 32%Innovation top 34% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 25% Moattop 31% Partnerstop 32% Innovationtop 34% Producttop 37% Newstop 39% Markettop 40% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 46% Globalbottom 45% Growthbottom 32% Funding: Raised $4.9B · 13 rounds over 11 yrs (1.2/yr) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 6/10 · Unicorn rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $4.9B | 56 mo ago | Acquired | Neil Masterson Chief Executive Officer | 2012 | DrupalPHPAmazon ALB+18 | — | — |
| 2 | Orbex Developer of launch system for small satellites | $133M | 16 mo ago | Series D | Jonas Bjarno Co-Founder & Chief Scientist | 2015 | Amazon Web ServicesCloudflarecdnjs+12 | — | — |
| 3 | Reaction Engines Develops the technologies needed for an advanced combined cycle air-breathing rocket engine class | $117M | 41 mo ago | Deadpooled | Pakenham Thomas Co-Founder | 1989 | — | 168 patents High‑temperature heat exchangers for ammonia‑fuelled combined-cycle propulsion systems | — |
| 4 | SatVu Provider of satellite-based thermal imaging systems 37Funding top 19%Talent top 38%Growth top 40%Moat top 42% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 19% Talenttop 38% Growthtop 40% Moattop 42% Newstop 48% Techbottom 48% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 20% Funding: Raised $68.6M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 5 yrs (1.4/yr) Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $69M | 4 mo ago | Series B | Tobias Reinicke Co-Founder & CIO | 2016 | WebflowApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+16 | — | 3 launchs |
| 5 | Open Cosmos Operator of space missions providing satellite data and earth observation | $63M | 33 mo ago | Series B | Aleix Megias Homar Co-Founder & COO | 2015 | RubyAnimate.cssTailwind CSS+15 | 9 patents Satellite payload design, integration, and testing technologies | 1 job opening · 1 launch |
| 6 | Goonhilly Operator of a private deep space communications network and ground station | $35M | 89 mo ago | Acquired | Ian Jones Founder | 2009 | DudaApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+15 | — | 3 job openings · 1 award |
| 7 | Oxford Space Systems Manufacturer of deployable antenna systems for space-based satellite services | $31M | 29 mo ago | Series A | Matthew Dreaper Co-Founder & CFO | 2013 | ZohoPHPZURB Foundation+9 | 53 patents Deployable antenna membranes and spacecraft structures with precision linear bearing mechanisms. | — |
| 8 | Space Forge Developer of space-derived crystal seeds for semiconductor substrate manufacturing on Earth | $21M | 13 mo ago | Series A | Andrew Bacon Co-Founder & CTO | 2018 | Cart FunctionalityShopifyShop Pay+9 | 13 patents Reusable atmospheric reentry heat shield technology for spacecraft | — |
| 9 | Phasor Solutions Provider of phased array antenna technology for satellite communication | $19M | 106 mo ago | Deadpooled | — | 2005 | — | 46 patents Phased‑array antenna design, beam steering/alignment, and noisy signal processing for RF systems | — |
| 10 | SaxaVord Operator of a licensed spaceport providing infrastructure for orbital test flights | $17M | 27 mo ago | Series B | Debbie Strang Co-Founder & COO | 2017 | WordPressMySQLPHP+19 | — | 1 job opening |
| 11 | Spaceflux Provider of space navigation services | $12M | 1 mo ago | Seed | Marcel Debczynski Co-Founder | 2022 | WordPressMySQLMariaDB+28 | — | 1 job opening · 1 partnership |
| 12 | Clyde Space Manufactures and supplies small and micro spacecraft systems | $9M | 84 mo ago | Acquired | — | 2005 | — | — | — |
| 13 | Sen Developer of satellite network for in orbit activities and planetary observation | $9M | 42 mo ago | Seed | Steve Brown Chief Operating Officer | 2014 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+25 | — | — |
| 14 | NewOrbit Space Operator of satellites engineered for ultra-low Earth orbit applications | $8M | 25 mo ago | Series A | Ruslan Rakhimov Co-Founder & CTO | 2021 | SanityTurbopackNode.js+12 | — | 1 job opening · 1 launch · 1 expansion |
| 15 | Skyrora Manufacturer of 3D-printed launch vehicles for small payloads | $4M | 62 mo ago | Funding Raised | Volodymyr Levykin Founder and CEO | 2017 | WordPressProton MailMicrosoft 365+12 | 8 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 16 | Alba Orbital Provider of PocketQube satellite launch services, platforms, and related hardware | $3M | 61 mo ago | Seed | — | 2012 | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+15 | — | — |
| 17 | Lodestar Developer of advanced technologies for space operations | $3M | 6 mo ago | Seed | Thomas Santini Co-Founder | 2023 | Framer SitesReactPriority Hints+7 | — | — |
| 18 | Arralis Develops satellite communications and radar technology | $3M | 104 mo ago | Series A | — | 2014 | — | — | — |
| 19 | Value.Space Provider of satellite-based structural risk assessment and monitoring for infrastructure | $2M | 37 mo ago | Seed | Agu Leinfeld Co-Founder | 2022 | Node.jsTailwind CSSReact+11 | — | — |
| 20 | Craft Prospect Developer of small satellite mission architecture, systems, and quantum technology | $2M | 55 mo ago | Seed | — | 2017 | Wix eCommerceWixSentry+11 | — | 1 job opening |
| 21 | isardSAT Provider of design, calibration, and maintenance services of remote sensing instruments | $2M | 65 mo ago | Funding Raised | Monica Roca Co-Founder | 2006 | — | — | — |
| 22 | Magdrive Developer of electric plasma thrusters for spacecraft propulsion systems | $2M | 15 mo ago | Seed | Thomas Clayson Co-Founder & CTO | 2019 | — | 4 patents Electric spacecraft propulsion and thrust vector control using pulsed plasma and electromagnetic systems | — |
| 23 | SSTL Manufacturer of small satellites | $2M | 27 mo ago | Acquired | — | 1985 | Apple iCloud MailWindows ServerMicrosoft ASP.NET+13 | — | — |
| 24 | STAR-Dundee Provider of satellite development kits | $2M | 101 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 2002 | WordPressMySQLPHP+12 | 8 patents High‑speed multi‑channel/multi‑lane network communication and multiplexing technologies. | 1 launch |
| 25 | ARGANS Provider of satellite-based imaging services | $2M | 54 mo ago | Funding Raised | Francois-Regis Martin-Lauzer CEO | 2007 | — | — | — |
| 26 | Space DOTS Developer of components and equipment for space solutions | $2M | 10 mo ago | Series A | James Alden Co-Founder & CTO | 2021 | WebflowGSAPCloudflare Turnstile+9 | — | 2 launchs |
| 27 | ODIN Space Provider of orbital mapping intended to identify lethal, non-trackable space debris | $806K | 6 mo ago | Seed | Dan Terrett Co-Founder | 2020 | — | — | — |
| 28 | Twinkle Developer of a satellite for space exploration mission | $748K | 94 mo ago | Funding Raised | Marcell Tessenyi CEO | 2014 | — | — | — |
| 29 | TISICS Provider of spacecraft components | $708K | 41 mo ago | Funding Raised | Stephen Henney Founder & Managing Director | 2005 | — | 14 patents Coated and reinforced polymer filaments and splines, plus their coating apparatus technologies. | — |
| 30 | OpenStreetMap Free worldwide map | $575K | 164 mo ago | Funding Raised | — | 2004 | RubyMapLibre GL JSLeaflet+16 | — | — |
| 31 | Methera Operator of a medium Earth orbit satellite constellation for broadband. | $549K | 96 mo ago | Seed | Chris McIntosh CEO | 2015 | — | — | — |
| 32 | Space Solar Developer of space-based solar power technology for clean energy generation 29Growth top 35%Talent top 38%Tech bottom 46%Funding bottom 37% All 6 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Talenttop 38% Techbottom 46% Fundingbottom 37% Globalbottom 30% Marketbottom 25% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $508K | 24 mo ago | Seed | Sam Adlen Co-Founder & Co-CEO | 2022 | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | — | 3 job openings · 2 partnerships |
| 33 | In-Space Missions Provider of space mission launching services | $419K | 34 mo ago | Acquired | — | 2015 | Azure Front DoorAzureSwiper+5 | — | — |
| 34 | Mars Space Space propulsion and plasma engineering and science | $415K | 113 mo ago | Public | Fabrizio Scortecci CEO & Director | 2007 | — | — | — |
| 35 | Aurora Avionics Manufacturer of modular, ITAR-free avionics systems for NewSpace launch vehicles | $408K | 14 mo ago | Seed | Rowland Fraser Co-Founder & CTO | 2023 | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 36 | Space Wales Network of resources supporting space sector capabilities and strategic development | $332K | 8 mo ago | Funding Raised | John Whalley CEO | 2020 | — | — | — |
| 37 | Space Power Developer of wireless power beaming technology for in-orbit satellite applications | $294K | 50 mo ago | Seed | Mihalis Caramihai Co-Founder | 2019 | — | 10 patents Wireless laser power beaming systems and optimal transmission mode selection | — |
| 38 | Skyeports Developer of space architecture and engineering for interplanetary human habitation | $175K | 15 mo ago | Funding Raised | Martin Bermudez Founder & CEO | 2017 | — | — | — |
| 39 | B2Space Developer of launching system for aerospace industry | $124K | 80 mo ago | Funding Raised | Victor Montero Burgos Co-Founder & co-CEO / COO | 2016 | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | — | 1 partnership |
| 40 | Gravitilab Aerospace Services Provider of microgravity testing services and space access for technology validation | $124K | 40 mo ago | Seed | James Kilpatrick Co-Founder & CFO | 2018 | — | 4 patents Payload testing systems and assemblies for aerospace vehicle integration and qualification | — |
| 41 | Space Resources Laboratory Provider of CubeSat subsystems, satellite integration, launch, and ground services | $121K | 44 mo ago | Funding Raised | Subham Subham Gupta Chief Executive Officer | 2019 | — | — | — |
Top 12 Space Tech companies in United Kingdom
#1
Series B · London, England · founded 2016 · 2 employees$68.6Mraised▾
Provider of satellite-based thermal imaging systems. It offers Earth observation technology designed to capture mid-wave infrared imagery and video at high resolution, enabling monitoring of heat emissions across urban areas, infrastructure, and natural environments. Its data platform supports applications such as energy efficiency assessment, climate monitoring, industrial activity tracking, and environmental risk management, serving governments, businesses, and research organizations.
- Feb 2026Series B$40.9M
- Nov 2024Series A$12.6M
- May 2023Series A$16.1M
- Mar 2022Series A$26.8M
#2
Seed · London, England · founded 2022$11.9Mraised▾
Spaceflux is a UK-based seed-stage company founded in 2022 that focuses on Space Situational Awareness services, aiming to address the challenges of orbital congestion and debris to protect satellites.
- May 2026Seed$4.7M
- Jul 2025Seed$7.2M
#3
Series D · London, England · founded 2015 · 3 employees$133.4Mraised▾
Developer of launch system for small satellites. It provides users with systems that can launch small, micro and nano-satellites into low Earth orbits. It claims that its vehicle subsystems are being developed in-house, including rocket engines, avionics, GNC, software and structure technologies. It also provides launching services for a launch range of payload capacities and includes logistics, regulatory, licensing and insurance support.
- Jan 2025Series D$24.9M
- Nov 2024Grant (prize money)$5.9M
- Apr 2024Series C$20.8M
- Dec 2023Grant (prize money)$4.1M
#4
Series A · Cardiff, Wales · founded 2018 · 34 employees$20.9Mraised▾
Developer of space-derived crystal seeds for semiconductor substrate manufacturing on Earth. The company focuses on growing substrates for power electronics, telecommunications, and quantum materials. It offers microgravity as a service using a returnable vehicle. The company also provides a satellite and space body re-entry warning system.
- May 2025Series A$30M
- Dec 2021Seed$10.2M
- Sep 2021Grant (prize money)$2.3M
- Jul 2021Seed—
#5
Seed · London, England · founded 2023$2.9Mraised▾
Developer of advanced technologies for space operations. It provides users with a company offering integrated hardware and software suite designed to provide dexterous manipulation capabilities essential for safeguarding national security and enabling future large scale in orbit construction projects.
- Dec 2025Grant (prize money)$396.8K
- Jul 2024Seed$2.5M
#6
Seed · London, England · founded 2020 · 2 employees$806Kraised▾
Provider of orbital mapping intended to identify lethal, non-trackable space debris. It offers detection of orbital debris currently invisible to other tracking methods. The company provides failure diagnosis to determine if debris caused a failure. It enables access to collision-specific coverage. Furthermore, it allows for optimized designs and flightpaths with orbital intelligence.
- Dec 2025Seed$3M
- Dec 2021Seed$806K
#7
OneWeb 🦄Acquired · London, England · founded 2012 · 362 employees$4.9Braised▾
Provider of satellite-based communication solutions. It provides users with communication solutions with the help of its own fleet of satellites. It also deploys and operates a network of low-orbit satellites for the provision of broadband and high-speed communication services. It also caters to governments, businesses, schools, and communities.
#8
Series A · London, England · founded 2021 · 4 employees$1.5Mraised▾
Developer of components and equipment for space solutions. It provides users with developing advanced materials and components for space solutions. It also provides users with testing systems and logistics solutions. Its features include microgravity testing and mission planning solutions.
- Aug 2025Series A$3.4M
- Jul 2023Seed$1.5M
- Feb 2023Conventional Debt—
#9
Funding Raised · Bridgend, Wales · founded 2020$332.5Kraised▾
Network of resources supporting space sector capabilities and strategic development. It provides an interactive catalogue detailing capabilities across industry and academia. The network delivers news and updates relevant to the space ecosystem. It offers a capability matrix for companies operating in the sector. The network supports strategic goals within the space sector.
- Oct 2025Grant (prize money)$332.5K
#10
Seed · Harwell, England · founded 2019 · 10 employees$1.9Mraised▾
Developer of electric plasma thrusters for spacecraft propulsion systems. They offer high-thrust electric propulsion solutions designed for critical space missions. The company’s family of thrusters provides reliable and storable electric propulsion. These systems support sustained rendezvous and proximity operations, constellation management, and stochastic movement. The thrusters are intended for use in low Earth orbit and deep space applications.
- Feb 2025Seed$10.5M
- Oct 2021Grant (prize money)$58K
- Dec 2020Seed$1.9M
#11
Series A · Harwell, England · founded 2013 · 48 employees$31Mraised▾
Manufacturer of deployable antenna systems for space-based satellite services. It offers a portfolio of antennas focused on maximizing stowage efficiency and improving performance. Products include helical, Yagi, wrapped rib, offset reflectors, and hinged rib antennas. It provides solutions for future space-based services.
- Jan 2024Series A$3.8M
- Jan 2024Grant (prize money)—
- Feb 2022Grant (prize money)—
- Jun 2018Series A$9M
#12
Series B · Harwell, Oxfordshire · founded 2015 · 43 employees$63Mraised▾
Operator of space missions providing satellite data and earth observation. The company designs, builds, and operates space missions to provide access to satellite data. It offers end-to-end mission services including satellite assembly, integration, testing, launch, in-orbit operations, and data delivery. The company also provides a multi-satellite data platform with visualization tools.
- Sep 2023Series B$50M
- Dec 2017Series A$7M
- Apr 2016Seed$616.4K
- Nov 2015Seed$40.4K
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
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
How research on Space Technology is moving in the United Kingdom
A read on the academic research around Space Technology — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 1,973 United Kingdom-affiliated papers.
- Imperial College London261
- University College London121
- University of Leicester115
- University of Strathclyde105
- University of Surrey81
- Spacecraft41→116
- CubeSat8→37
- Aerospace engineering8→32
- Satellite1→24
- Control theory (sociology)9→25
- Spacecraft65→154
- Aerospace engineering17→64
- CubeSat8→38
- Satellite10→31
- Space (punctuation)3→24
- Spacecraft20→65
- Space (punctuation)3→23
- New horizons3→21
- Astrobiology6→21
- Aerospace engineering3→15
Where space tech is researched across United Kingdom
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing space tech patents in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom space tech patent filing is accelerating — 540 filings from 198 assignees (2016–2025), led by Airbus Defence & Space, BAE Systems, Astrium; annual filings 27→87.
- Airbus Defence & Space90
- BAE Systems52
- Astrium34
- Network Access Associates32
- Worldvu Satellites25
- Oxford Space Systems22
- EADS Astrium21
- Orbital Express Launch18
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.