The aerospace industry has seen a surge in innovation over the past decade, with startups pushing the boundaries of space exploration, satellite technology, and advanced aviation. Between 2015 and 2020, several emerging aerospace companies secured significant funding, allowing them to develop cutting-edge technologies and disrupt the industry.
In this article, we’ll explore 15 aerospace startups founded between 2015 and 2020 that successfully raised between $5 million and $10 million in funding. These companies are shaping the future of aerospace with breakthroughs in satellite communications, reusable launch systems, electric aviation, and more.
15 Aerospace Startups That Raised $5M–$10M
| Company Name | Founded | Location | Number of Employees | Last Funding | Last Funding Date | Total Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orbite | 2019 | Seattle, WA, USA | 11-50 | $4.0M | Dec 5, 2024 | $6.72M |
| Performance Drone Works | 2019 | Huntsville, AL, USA | 51-100 | $8.57M | Mar 8, 2024 | $8.57M |
| Bridger Aerospace | 2015 | Belgrade, MT, USA | 101-250 | $9.8M | Apr 17, 2024 | $9.8M |
| NALEJ Corporation | 2016 | New York, NY, USA | 11-50 | Not Disclosed | Jun 30, 2024 | $5.5M |
| Paradigm Parachute & Defense | 2019 | Pensacola, FL, USA | 51-100 | $1.75M | May 16, 2024 | $8.48M |
| TANGI0 | 2015 | London, England, UK | 11-50 | £4.5M | Dec 17, 2024 | £6.5M |
| AiSeed Inc | 2019 | Taipei, Taiwan | 11-50 | $6.2M | Dec 26, 2024 | $6.2M |
| Zuri | 2017 | Prague, Czech Republic | 11-50 | €3.0M | Dec 17, 2024 | €5.4M |
| Picterra | 2016 | Ecublens, Vaud, Switzerland | 11-50 | Not Specified | – | $9.90M |
| Optimized Electrotech | 2017 | Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India | 11-50 | $3M | Oct 11, 2024 | $8.20M |
| AIKO – Infinite Ways to Autonomy | 2017 | Torino, Piemonte, Italy | 11-50 | €3.5M | Oct 9, 2024 | €5.47M |
| Blackwave GmbH | 2016 | Taufkirchen, Bayern, Germany | 11-50 | $6.6M | Mar 19, 2024 | $6.6M |
| Space Machines Company | 2018 | Botany, New South Wales, Australia | 11-50 | A$8.5M | Apr 30, 2024 | A$8.5M |
| HyImpulse Technologies GmbH | 2018 | Neuenstadt Am Kocher, Germany | 11-50 | £5M | Jul 22, 2024 | £5M |
| Aliena | 2018 | Singapore, Central Region, Singapore | 1-10 | $5.6M | Mar 21, 2024 | $6.7M |
1. Orbite
- Founded: 2019
- Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
- Industry: Aerospace, Leisure
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: $4.0M
- Total Funding Amount: $6.72M (Latest Round: Dec 5, 2024)
Orbite is a luxury space training and hospitality company based in Seattle, Washington. The company offers a comprehensive astronaut training experience for future space travelers, including pre-mission training, preflight accommodations, mission monitoring, and post-mission re-acclimation. By combining high-end hospitality with advanced spaceflight preparation, Orbite provides a unique, immersive experience for individuals looking to embark on commercial space missions.
Their training programs cover everything from zero-gravity simulations to spacecraft safety protocols, ensuring that aspiring space tourists and professionals are well-prepared for their journey. As the commercial space industry expands, Orbite is positioning itself as a leader in space tourism support and training.
2. Performance Drone Works
- Founded: 2019
- Location: Huntsville, Alabama, USA
- Industry: Aerospace, Automotive
- Number of Employees: 51-100
- Last Funding Amount: $8.57M
- Total Funding Amount: $8.57M (Latest Round: Mar 8, 2024)
Performance Drone Works (PDW) is a leading developer of autonomous unmanned aerial systems (UAS), specializing in cutting-edge drone technology for military and defense applications. Based in Huntsville, Alabama, PDW designs high-performance, small autonomous platforms tailored to the modern warfighter. The company has a strong track record of innovation in sUAS (small unmanned aerial systems) design, integrating advanced electronics, AI-driven software, and modular hardware across its drone platforms.
PDW’s drones are known for their versatility, durability, and battlefield adaptability, making them essential for reconnaissance, surveillance, and tactical operations. With a focus on AI-powered autonomy, real-time data processing, and secure communication systems, PDW is shaping the future of next-generation military drone technology. The company continues to push the boundaries of unmanned warfare and aerial intelligence, providing state-of-the-art solutions to enhance mission effectiveness and operator safety.
3. Bridger Aerospace
- Founded: 2015
- Location: Belgrade, Montana, USA
- Industry: Aerospace, Wildfire Management
- Number of Employees: 101-250
- Last Funding Amount: $9.8M
- Total Funding Amount: $9.8M (Latest Round: Apr 17, 2024)
Bridger Aerospace is a leading aerial firefighting company based in Belgrade, Montana. Specializing in wildfire suppression, intelligence gathering, and relief operations, the company operates a fleet of scooper planes, air tankers, and surveillance aircraft to support ground firefighting efforts.
Using advanced technology and AI-driven analytics, Bridger Aerospace delivers real-time aerial intelligence to enhance wildfire response and mitigation. Partnering with federal, state, and local agencies, the company is committed to sustainable and efficient firefighting solutions to protect communities from wildfires.
4. NALEJ /knowledge [nal-ej]/ Corporation
- Founded: December 25, 2016
- Location: New York, New York, USA
- Industry: Aerospace, Cloud Computing
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: Not Disclosed
- Total Funding Amount: $5.5M (Latest Round: June 30, 2024)
NALEJ Corporation is a New York-based software company specializing in edge computing and distributed systems. It develops and operates Mosaic OS, a flexible, cloud-to-edge platform that enables IT/OT teams, developers, and analysts to seamlessly manage and integrate distributed resources.
The company’s technology supports AI-driven automation, dynamic workload distribution, and real-time data processing, making it ideal for enterprise, industrial, and defense applications. NALEJ’s resilient architecture ensures minimal data loss, system failure recovery, and enhanced security, empowering organizations to optimize their edge computing infrastructure.
5. Paradigm Parachute & Defense
- Founded: 2019
- Location: Pensacola, Florida, USA
- Industry: Aerospace, Air Transportation
- Number of Employees: 51-100
- Last Funding Amount: $1.75M
- Total Funding Amount: $8.48M (Latest Round: May 16, 2024)
Paradigm Parachute & Defense is a Pensacola, Florida-based company specializing in the design and manufacturing of military-grade parachute systems and defense solutions. The company provides precision-engineered, high-performance parachutes tailored for military, aerospace, and special operations applications.
Paradigm is known for its cutting-edge materials, advanced safety mechanisms, and rigorous testing standards, ensuring maximum reliability in critical missions. With a focus on innovation and durability, the company supports defense agencies, government organizations, and private sector clients with customized aerial deployment solutions.
6. TANGI0
- Founded: September 2015
- Location: London, England, United Kingdom
- Industry: Aerospace, Augmented Reality, Automotive
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: £4.5M
- Total Funding Amount: £6.5M (Latest Round: Dec 17, 2024)
TANGI0 is a London-based technology company that specializes in next-generation human-machine interfaces by replacing traditional sensor networks with seamless, touch-sensitive materials. Their proprietary platform technology enables the creation of ergonomic, 3D interactive surfaces, transforming the way users interact with devices in automotive, gaming, consumer electronics, and industrial applications.
Using an assembly-free, cost-effective manufacturing process, TANGI0 develops intuitive and immersive control systems that enhance user experience and product design. The company collaborates with major industry players to integrate its sensor technology into cutting-edge products, pushing the boundaries of haptic feedback and interactive surfaces.
7. AiSeed Inc
- Founded: September 3, 2019
- Location: Taipei, Taiwan
- Industry: Aerospace, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Autonomous Vehicles
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: $6.2M
- Total Funding Amount: $6.2M (Latest Round: Dec 26, 2024)
AiSeed Inc is a Taipei-based technology company specializing in AI-driven autonomous drone solutions for commercial, industrial, and defense applications. Their cutting-edge technology enhances situational awareness, flight path optimization, and operational safety, making drones more efficient and reliable for a wide range of aerial missions.
By leveraging advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning, AiSeed develops autonomous UAV systems that minimize human intervention and enhance mission capabilities. Their solutions cater to industries such as logistics, agriculture, security, and disaster response, helping organizations streamline operations and improve aerial data collection.
8. Zuri
- Founded: 2017
- Location: Prague, Hlavni mesto Praha, Czech Republic
- Industry: Aerospace, Electronics
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: €3.0M
- Total Funding Amount: €5.4M (Latest Round: Dec 17, 2024)
Zuri is a Czech Republic-based aerospace company developing a hybrid-electric VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft for inter-city travel. Their innovative long-range eVTOL combines electric propulsion with hybrid technology, enabling efficient, low-emission flights over extended distances.
Zuri aims to revolutionize regional air mobility by offering a fast, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to traditional transportation. With a focus on aerodynamic efficiency and passenger comfort, the company is working towards a future where air travel is more accessible and environmentally friendly.
9. Picterra
- Founded: 2016
- Location: Ecublens, Vaud, Switzerland
- Industry: Aerospace, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Computer Vision
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: Not specified
- Total Funding Amount: $9.90M
Picterra is a Switzerland-based AI company specializing in geospatial machine learning for Earth observation imagery. Their cloud-based platform enables businesses and organizations to detect objects, monitor changes, and analyze patterns in satellite, drone, and aerial imagery with custom AI models.
Picterra’s technology is used across industries like agriculture, forestry, urban planning, and environmental monitoring, helping users automate geospatial analysis without requiring deep technical expertise. Their mission is to democratize access to geospatial AI, making it easier to extract actionable insights from imagery data.
10. Optimized Electrotech
- Founded: May 15, 2017
- Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
- Industry: Aerospace, Electronics, Image Recognition
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: $3M (Latest Round: Oct 11, 2024)
- Total Funding Amount: $8.20M
Optimized Electrotech is an India-based company that specializes in creating advanced electro-optic surveillance systems for both defense and commercial sectors. Their products are specifically designed for land and aerospace applications, and they are tested by some of India’s most discerning clients.
The company is committed to providing high-performance, multispectral surveillance equipment that enhances strategic security and critical asset protection. They are actively working on scaling production for broader commercial use and continue to innovate in the electro-optic field with an eye on global market expansion.
11. AIKO – Infinite Ways to Autonomy
- Founded: March 7, 2017
- Location: Torino, Piemonte, Italy
- Industry: Aerospace, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Industrial Automation
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: €3.5M (Latest Round: Oct 9, 2024)
- Total Funding Amount: €5.47M
AIKO is the first European company to successfully demonstrate deep learning algorithms in orbit. It specializes in AI-driven autonomy solutions for space missions, enabling real-time decision-making, optimizing mission efficiency, and extending the operational lifespan of spacecraft. The company’s innovative software enhances both onboard and ground-based systems, reducing human intervention and making satellite operations more intelligent and adaptive.
With a strong focus on automation, AIKO is redefining how satellites interact with their environment, helping space agencies and commercial operators maximize mission outcomes. Its AI-powered solutions are designed to improve spacecraft autonomy, reduce operational costs, and enable new applications in Earth observation, deep-space exploration, and satellite constellations. AIKO’s cutting-edge research and practical implementations position it as a leader in the evolution of autonomous space technologies.
12. Blackwave GmbH
- Founded: 2016
- Location: Taufkirchen, Bayern, Germany
- Industry: Aerospace, Automotive, Manufacturing
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: $6.6 Million (Latest Round: Mar 19, 2024)
- Total Funding Amount: $6.6 Million
Blackwave GmbH specializes in developing and producing high-performance components made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). The company focuses on sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical technology, sports equipment, and mechanical engineering. Using Carbon-Sheet Moulding Compound (C-SMC), they create highly complex 3D components that are lightweight, durable, and cost-effective. These components are manufactured with high pressure and heat, allowing for the integration of functional elements like threads and fits, enabling the production of parts that traditional carbon manufacturing processes cannot achieve.
Blackwave’s innovative manufacturing process offers design flexibility, making it possible to create intricate geometries that were once unachievable with conventional carbon fiber techniques. The company’s components are widely recognized for their strength-to-weight ratio, which is vital in industries where performance and efficiency are critical. As the demand for lightweight materials grows in industries like automotive and aerospace, Blackwave is at the forefront of shaping the future of lightweight construction with sustainable and efficient material solutions.
13. Space Machines Company
- Founded: 2018
- Location: Botany, New South Wales, Australia
- Industry: Aerospace
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: A$8.5 Million (Latest Round: Apr 30, 2024)
- Total Funding Amount: A$8.5 Million
Space Machines Company is an in-space transportation and logistics provider, specializing in offering cutting-edge solutions for the transport of goods and payloads in space. The company focuses on developing and delivering innovative in-space mobility and logistics services to support the growing space economy.
By leveraging its expertise in space operations and autonomous systems, Space Machines Company provides critical capabilities for satellite deployment, servicing, and transfer of cargo between orbits. Their mission is to streamline the space transportation infrastructure, making it more sustainable and efficient for space operations.
As the space industry grows, Space Machines Company aims to play a central role in enhancing space mission logistics, from satellite deployment to orbital adjustments. The company’s work enables seamless communication and satellite constellation maintenance, which are pivotal for the success of various space initiatives.
14. HyImpulse Technologies GmbH
- Founded: March 2018
- Location: Neuenstadt Am Kocher, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
- Industry: Aerospace, Manufacturing, Transportation
- Number of Employees: 11-50
- Last Funding Amount: £5 Million (Latest Round: Jul 22, 2024)
- Total Funding Amount: £5 Million
HyImpulse Technologies GmbH is an aerospace company specializing in small orbital launchers. The company develops and offers dedicated sub-orbital and orbital launch services with an emphasis on hybrid propulsion-based launch vehicles. Their primary product, the SR75, is a single-stage sounding rocket that uses hybrid rocket engines to deliver institutional and commercial experiments into a microgravity environment during suborbital flights.
HyImpulse is focused on providing cost-effective and reliable launch solutions for the rapidly growing small satellite market. The company’s hybrid propulsion technology provides a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to traditional chemical propulsion systems, making it an appealing choice for customers looking for efficient and environmentally conscious space access.
By offering launch services for research, science, and commercial payloads, HyImpulse is contributing to expanding access to space and enabling innovations in space exploration, technology development, and scientific discovery.
15. Aliena
- Founded: 2018
- Location: Singapore, Central Region, Singapore
- Industry: Aerospace, Space Travel
- Number of Employees: 1-10
- Last Funding Amount: $5.6 Million (Latest Round: Mar 21, 2024)
- Total Funding Amount: $6.7 Million
Aliena is a leading provider of electric propulsion solutions tailored for the growing small satellite market. The company addresses the key challenge faced by small satellites—the lack of efficient propulsion systems that can extend their operational life and enhance mission capabilities.
Aliena focuses on developing innovative small-power plasma thrusters, which are designed to overcome the slow development of cathode (electron emitter) technology. This cutting-edge technology enables more effective propulsion units for small satellites, allowing them to operate more efficiently and with greater mission flexibility.
The company is actively working to advance electric propulsion technology to enable the next generation of small satellite missions, thereby reducing the cost and time associated with satellite deployment and increasing the overall reliability of satellite operations in space.
Conclusion
The aerospace industry is experiencing an exciting period of growth and transformation, driven by innovation from a new wave of startups that are revolutionizing everything from space exploration to satellite technology and air mobility. These 15 companies, founded between 2015 and 2020, are not just raising significant funding, but are actively shaping the future of aerospace with cutting-edge advancements in autonomous systems, sustainable propulsion technologies, and AI-driven solutions.
From luxury space tourism training to next-gen drones and electric vertical take-off aircraft, these startups demonstrate the diverse and dynamic nature of modern aerospace innovation. As they continue to develop and scale their technologies, we can expect to see a future where space becomes more accessible, air travel becomes cleaner and more efficient, and new frontiers of exploration are reached.
These companies are not only pushing the boundaries of what’s possible but also making a significant impact on industries ranging from defense and logistics to space travel and environmental monitoring. With continued investment and breakthroughs, the sky is no longer the limit for the future of aerospace.
FAQs
Q. What is the aerospace industry’s role in innovation today?
Answer: The aerospace industry is at the forefront of numerous technological advancements, particularly in space exploration, satellite communications, air mobility, and defense technology. Startups are pushing the boundaries of space tourism, reusable launch systems, and AI-driven solutions, significantly impacting global infrastructure and industries like logistics, defense, and environmental monitoring.
Q. What are the key technologies these startups are developing?
Answer: These startups are developing a wide range of cutting-edge technologies such as AI-driven autonomous systems, hybrid-electric propulsion for aircraft, advanced satellite imaging and communication, next-gen drones, and space transportation solutions. Many of them are focused on sustainability, making space and air travel more environmentally friendly.
Q. How are these startups changing space travel?
Answer: Several of these startups are developing technologies that could make space travel more efficient, accessible, and sustainable. For instance, Orbite focuses on astronaut training for space tourists, while companies like AIKO are enabling autonomous satellite operations. These breakthroughs are helping reduce the cost and complexity of space missions, ultimately expanding access to space for both private and commercial ventures.