Blue Origin
Facts
- HQ
- Kent, WA, US
- Sectors
- Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing
- Founded
- 2000
- Employees
- 12874
- Stage
- Public
Xplore says it has raised $16.2M to back ‘Space as a Service,’ with $4M in non-dilutive agency contracts
Xplore, a Redmond startup founded in 2017, reports it has raised $16.2 million in venture funding and contracts to support its 'Space as a Service' satellite program, including about $4 million in non-dilutive awards from agencies like the Air Force, NASA and NOAA. The company of roughly 20 employees is preparing its first mission, scheduled for late this year, supported by investors such as Alumni Ventures and Dylan Taylor.
C5 Acquisition Corp. closes $287.5M IPO with ex-Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson as CEO
C5 Acquisition Corp., led by former Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson, completed a $287.5 million IPO by selling 28.75 million units at $10 each and will seek business combinations focused on space, cybersecurity and energy transition tied to national security.
ZeroAvia opens R&D center at Everett’s Paine Field; $5.5M refit and $350K Washington grant support hydrogen-electric powertrain work
ZeroAvia is opening an R&D center at Everett’s Paine Field near Seattle to develop hydrogen-electric aircraft powertrains, with plans to begin customer rollouts in 2024 and potentially build a North American manufacturing hub there. The Paine Field site converts warehouse space into offices and labs, received a $350,000 Washington grant, and will employ 20–30 people initially while ZeroAvia pursues larger-scale manufacturing and powertrains for bigger aircraft.
GeekWire revises GeekWire 200: firms >15 years old and majority PE-owned ineligible, rankings shift to quarterly in 2022
GeekWire is changing the criteria for its GeekWire 200 startup rankings: beginning in 2022, majority private-equity-owned companies and companies 15 years or older will be ineligible, and the index will move from monthly to quarterly updates, which will reshape the top ranks including removing Blue Origin.
Breakthrough Energy Ventures (Bill Gates) leads $65M funding for Stoke Space’s fully reusable-rocket program
Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures is leading a $65 million investment in Stoke Space to support development of fully reusable rockets aimed at cutting launch costs and enabling faster, lower-cost access to satellites for climate-monitoring applications.
Electric Sky wins $225,000 DARPA SBIR to build first Whisper Beam transmitter for wirelessly powering drones
Electric Sky received a $225,000 DARPA Phase I SBIR award to build and test a lab-bench Whisper Beam transmitter that provides tightly focused wireless power to drones, aiming to adapt the system to power swarms and inform upgrades for higher power and longer range.
Deal mania reshuffles GeekWire 200: M&A, IPOs and SPACs push top firms out while Blue Origin stays No. 1
A surge of M&A, IPO and SPAC activity — labeled 'deal mania' — reshuffled the GeekWire 200 rankings, removing several top-10 companies that went public or were acquired and creating openings for new entrants; Blue Origin remains No. 1 while more deal-making and rule changes about private equity-owned companies promise further shake-ups.
Starfish Space Raises $7M to Develop Otter Space Tug for Satellite Servicing and Disposal
Starfish Space, founded by ex-Blue Origin veterans, raised $7 million in seed funding to develop the Otter space tug for moving and safely disposing of satellites in orbit. Their technology aims to extend satellite lifespans and address space debris challenges with novel hardware and software currently undergoing on-orbit tests.
Stoke Space builds Moses Lake test site, completes full-scale second-stage demo and hot-fire 'three-pack' in six months
Stoke Space Technologies rapidly built a 2.3-acre liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen test facility in Moses Lake, Washington, and completed a full-scale manufacturing demonstration and hot-fire tests of a second-stage engine ‘three-pack’ in six months. CEO Andy Lapsa says the two-year-old startup is pursuing full second-stage reusability to lower launch costs, taking a different technical approach than SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Xplore opens 22,000‑sq ft satellite manufacturing facility in Redmond, to start production in June
Xplore has leased a 22,000-square-foot satellite manufacturing facility in Redmond, Washington, in the former Planetary Resources complex and will begin moving in June to produce ESPA-class XCraft and LightCraft spacecraft. The company plans to build up to 20 spacecraft per year for commercial customers and U.S. agencies including NASA, NOAA, the Space Force and Air Force.
Orbite launches three-day astronaut orientation sessions Aug. 23 in France, November–December in Orlando with zero‑G and high‑G flights
Seattle startup Orbite will offer three-day "try before you buy" astronaut orientation sessions starting Aug. 23 in France and later in Orlando, featuring VR, zero-G and high-G flights, space-food classes and stargazing for up to 10 participants per session.
Stoke Space Technologies raises $9.1 million seed round to build reusable upper-stage rockets
Stoke Space Technologies, founded by former Blue Origin engineers in Renton, Wash., raised $9.1 million in seed funding to develop a reusable upper-stage rocket aimed at making full-stage reusability commonplace. CEO Andy Lapsa says extending reusability to upper stages is the next industry milestone and will better serve the commercial satellite market.
Blue Origin Alumni Launch Startups: Relativity Prepares Terran Launch as Co-founder Jordan Noone Steps Back; Stoke Space Wins $225K NSF Grant
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos 20 years ago, has spawned a wave of space startups led by its alumni, including Relativity Space and Stoke Space. Relativity is preparing a Terran rocket launch and undergoing leadership change as co-founder Jordan Noone steps back, while Stoke Space in Renton is developing reusable upper-stage propulsion with a $225,000 NSF SBIR grant.
Planetary Resources’ Lab Gear, Including 10‑Foot Vacuum Chamber and CNC Machine, Auctioned After 2018 Shutdown
Planetary Resources’ remaining hardware — including a 10-foot thermal vacuum chamber, CNC machining center, laptops, chairs and a rooftop satellite dish — was sold in an online-only auction after the asteroid-mining startup ran out of funding. Bids ranged from about $730 for the vacuum chamber to over $34,000 for the CNC machine, while the satellite dish drew no bids due to costly removal requirements.
Satya Nadella and Seattle Tech Leaders Join Sounders FC Ownership; Cray Gets $600M DOE Supercomputer Contract Ahead of $1.3B HPE Acquisition
Seattle tech leaders, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, have joined a revamped Sounders FC ownership group. Cray is developing a $600 million exascale supercomputer for the U.S. Department of Energy and is being acquired by HPE for $1.3 billion.
Smartsheet Rises to No. 6 on GeekWire 200 List with Over $70M Revenue and Boston Expansion Plans
Smartsheet has risen to number six on the GeekWire 200 list of privately held Pacific Northwest startups, up from 13th at the start of the year, driven by strong subscription revenue growth and key executive hires. Other notable movers include Vacation rental startup Vacasa entering the top 10 and Seattle’s Highspot climbing to number 148 after forming a strategic partnership with Brainshark.
GeekWire 200 November Update: DocuSign Tops as Textio Rises 23 Spots and Morningstar Acquires PitchBook for $180M
The November update of the GeekWire 200 highlights Pacific Northwest startups leveraging recent large funding rounds to expand products and staff, with DocuSign leading the list. Notable moves include Textio jumping 23 spots to number 176 and Avvo advancing into the seventh spot, while PitchBook was acquired by Morningstar for $180 million.
