Blue Origin
Facts
- HQ
- Kent, WA, US
- Sectors
- Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing
- Founded
- 2000
- Employees
- 12874
- Stage
- Public
Zillow and Expedia Co-founder Rich Barton Officially Moves to Las Vegas Amid Seattle Tech Exodus
Rich Barton, co-founder of Zillow and Expedia, has officially moved from Seattle to Las Vegas, marking a new chapter in his life after his children left home. His departure is notable amid other high-profile Seattle tech leaders relocating and ongoing debates about Washington's tax policies on wealthy residents.
Space Northwest and Commercial Space Federation Launch Accelerator for Early-Stage Space Companies in Kent, WA
Space Northwest and the Commercial Space Federation are launching a regional space business accelerator in Kent, Washington, aimed at supporting up to 10 early-stage space companies with local support from the City of Kent, a hub for space industry businesses like Blue Origin and Stoke Space. The program will begin with an executive roundtable this summer, followed by a 12-week accelerator starting in autumn, focusing on investment readiness, tech commercialization, and integration into the global space supply chain.
Pentagon and SpaceX Disagree Over Starlink Pricing for Military Drones and Iranian Communications
The Pentagon and SpaceX are in a dispute over Starlink service pricing, particularly regarding military use on LUCAS drones and plans to provide Iranian citizens with direct-to-cell connections. The Pentagon has agreed to a higher rate for drone services, highlighting increased military dependence on Starlink amid geopolitical tensions.
Starfish Space to Demonstrate Autonomous Docking with Australian Gilmour Space ElaraSat Nearly One Year After Launch
Starfish Space is preparing its Otter Pup 2 satellite for an autonomous docking demonstration with Australia's Gilmour Space ElaraSat, nearly a year after their joint launch. This mission aims to test technologies for Starfish's full-scale Otter spacecraft designed for satellite servicing and disposal.
Jeff Bezos Details $38B Startup Prometheus as AI Design Tool, Denies Robotics Focus
Jeff Bezos revealed that his $38 billion startup Project Prometheus is focused on developing an 'artificial general engineer' for next-generation design tools of physical objects, explicitly stating it is not related to robotics. Bezos, who is the co-CEO, described Prometheus as a modern evolution of computer-aided design (CAD), emphasizing the project's innovative approach.
Cowboy Space Raises $275M at $2B Valuation, Plans 40-60 Hires for Seattle Satellite and Rocket Hub
Cowboy Space Corp., founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, raised $275 million in a Series B round valuing the company at $2 billion and is hiring 40-60 employees for its new Seattle satellite and rocket engineering hub. The company develops solar-powered satellites that function as data centers and builds integrated rockets to launch them, competing for talent in Seattle's aerospace sector.
Scout Space Raises $18M Series A Led by Washington Harbour Partners to Scale SDA Sensors and Software
Scout Space, a Reston, Va. developer of space domain awareness sensors, raised $18 million in a Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners to fund mission execution and expand manufacturing and operations in Northern Virginia.
Scout Space Raises $18M To Expand Space Domain Awareness Systems
Scout Space raised up to $18 million in a Series A led by Washington Harbour Partners to scale manufacturing and expand its space domain awareness sensors and software, including a new 2,600-square-foot facility in Northern Virginia to support real-time orbital tracking for commercial and national security customers.
Scout Space Raises Up to $18M Series A Led by Washington Harbour Partners to Expand SDA Sensors, Software and Virginia Manufacturing
Scout Space announced it raised up to $18 million in a Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners to accelerate deployment of its space domain awareness sensors and software and to build a new manufacturing facility in Northern Virginia.
Scout Space raises $18 million to expand orbital tracking technology
Scout Space closed an $18 million Series A on May 6 to expand manufacturing and fund upcoming missions for its orbital sensing and edge-processing software. The Reston, Virginia startup will build a 2,600-square-foot Northern Virginia facility and is partnering with Blue Origin and the U.S. Space Force on sensor integrations and contracts.
2026 GeekWire Awards Finalists Include AIM Intelligent Machines with $50M Funding and $4.9M Air Force Contracts for Autonomous Earthmovers
The 2026 GeekWire Awards announced finalists for Hardware/Robotics/Physical AI of the Year, highlighting startups innovating with autonomous heavy machinery, drones, spatial computing, and space robotics. Notable finalist AIM Intelligent Machines secured $50 million funding in 2025 and $4.9 million in U.S. Air Force contracts for autonomous earthmoving equipment.
Starfish Space Raises $110M Series B to Fund Satellite Servicing Missions and Scale Operations
Starfish Space raised $110 million in a Series B funding round led by Point72 Ventures to support its first satellite servicing missions and scale operations. Founded by Blue Origin veterans, the company developed the Otter vehicle for on-orbit satellite servicing and has conducted technology demonstrations and tests.
Starcloud raises $170M Series A at $1.1B valuation to fund two satellites for orbital data centres
Starcloud raised $170 million in a Series A led by Benchmark and EQT Ventures at a $1.1 billion valuation to fund its next two satellites and advance orbital data-centre development, bringing total funding to $200 million. The Redmond startup already operates an Nvidia H100 GPU in orbit, trained the first AI model in space, and is building Starship-class spacecraft to make orbital data centres cost-competitive with terrestrial facilities.
Aetherflux, Founded by Robinhood's Baiju Bhatt, Expands to Seattle for Solar-Powered Orbital Data Center Satellite Development
Aetherflux, a space startup founded in 2024 by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, is expanding to Seattle to develop solar-powered orbital data center satellites aimed at supporting AI energy needs, with a commercial launch planned for 2027. The company joins a growing aerospace community in Seattle, focusing on leveraging space-based infrastructure to overcome limitations of ground-based AI computing resources.
Stoke Space adds $350M to Series D, taking October round to $860M to speed Nova production and launch-pad activation
Kent-based reusable rocket startup Stoke Space added $350 million to its October Series D, bringing that round to $860 million to accelerate production of its reusable Nova rocket and activate Launch Complex 14; the company has raised over $1.1 billion since January last year.
Stoke Space Raises $350M More in Series D, Totals $860M to Ready Reusable Nova Rocket for First 2024 Launch
Stoke Space Technologies has raised an additional $350 million in its Series D round, totaling $860 million, to support completion of its Florida launch complex and production of its reusable Nova rocket. The medium-lift Nova vehicle is expected to launch for the first time from Cape Canaveral later this year.
Interlune Develops Lunar Excavator for Helium-3 Extraction and Moon Construction Under $150,000 NASA Contract
Interlune is using a $150,000 NASA contract to develop a lunar excavator, called SILT, aimed at extracting helium-3 and supporting moon construction projects. The technology could aid NASA’s Artemis program by enabling lunar trenching, road building, and habitat infrastructure preparation.
Avalanche Energy Secures $29M Led by RA Capital to Develop Desktop-Sized Fusion Power and Launch FusionWERX Facility
Seattle's Avalanche Energy raised $29 million led by RA Capital Management to advance fusion power and open FusionWERX, a commercial-scale test facility in Washington. The funding supports developing compact fusion devices for specialized applications, diverging from competitors focusing on large-scale fusion reactors.
SpaceX Seeks FCC Approval for Up to One Million AI Data Center Satellites to Advance Orbital Computing
SpaceX has requested FCC approval to deploy up to a million satellites as orbital data centers to support AI data processing and advance multiplanetary objectives. This initiative could impact major AI and space companies while boosting SpaceX’s manufacturing and Elon Musk’s xAI ambitions.
Blue Origin Pauses New Shepard Flights to Focus on Lunar Landers for NASA Artemis Program
Blue Origin is pausing its New Shepard space tourism flights for at least two years to concentrate on developing lunar landers for NASA's Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the Moon. The company prioritizes aligning with U.S. government goals for a sustained human presence on the Moon over continuing suborbital trips.
Interlune Raises $5 Million SAFE to Advance Lunar Helium-3 Mining with Leadership from Former Blue Origin and Apollo 17 Astronaut
Interlune is raising $5 million through a SAFE offering to fund its lunar resource extraction plans, including harvesting helium-3. The Seattle-based startup, founded in 2020 by former Blue Origin leaders and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, aims to advance technical milestones before its next funding round.
Blue Origin Reveals 5,408-Satellite TeraWave Network Offering Up to 6 Tbps Speeds, Launching from 2027
Blue Origin announced TeraWave, a satellite network with up to 6 Tbps symmetrical speeds over 5,408 laser-linked satellites planned to launch starting in late 2027. The network targets high-throughput data center and enterprise customers, posing competition to SpaceX Starlink and Amazon Leo services.
A silver lining for Seattle in the DJI ban, and the verdict on the 2007 Camry tech retrofit
The FCC delivered a massive shakeup to the drone industry right before the holidays, adding foreign-made drones (most notably from industry giant DJI) to its "Covered List" of national security threats. While the move effectively bans the sale of future DJI models in the U.S., GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook explore why this might be a golden economic opportunity for the Pacific Northwest. Featuring highlights from a recent interview with Blake Resnick of Brinc, the Seattle-based maker of public safety drones, who lobbied for the U.S. policy change and supports the move. Related story: Drone capital of the world?…
FCC Restricts Chinese Drones, Boosting Seattle-Based Brinc and Washington’s Domestic Drone Industry
New U.S. federal restrictions on foreign-made drones, especially targeting Chinese company DJI, are expected to boost Washington state’s domestic drone manufacturing industry, creating thousands of jobs. Seattle’s existing aerospace talent and companies like Boeing and Amazon Prime Air position it as a key beneficiary of this industry shift.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Explored Investing in Seattle’s Stoke Space for Orbital Data Centers to Challenge SpaceX in 2024
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explored investing in Seattle startup Stoke Space to develop orbital data centers, aiming to compete with SpaceX and other tech giants in space-based AI data processing. Talks occurred in 2024 but are currently inactive, reflecting a growing tech interest in off-Earth data infrastructures.
