Starfish Space
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle area
- Sectors
- Space Research and Technology
- Founded
- 2019
- Employees
- 119
- Total raised
- $162.6M SEC Form D filings Total of this company's SEC Form D filings
- Last round
- $111.7M · Mar 2026 SEC Form D
- Founders
- Austin Link, Trevor Bennett
GeekWire live: Amazon blocks Meta’s Muse AI from shopping on Amazon.com, sparking fight over AI agents; Seattle startup future debated
GeekWire’s live podcast discusses Amazon blocking Meta’s Muse AI from shopping on Amazon.com—framing it as an early sign of a larger battle over AI agents acting on users’ behalf—and includes a Seattle-focused conversation about whether the city remains a strong place to build startups, featuring local founders, CEOs and a discussion of taxes and venture capital.
Live show: Amazon, Meta and the fight over the future of AI; Plus, is Seattle still the place to build?
This week: Amazon is blocking Meta's new Muse AI assistant from shopping on Amazon.com, saying the agent doesn't identify itself and violates the site's conditions of use. We explain why the standoff is an early sign of a much bigger fight over whether AI agents can use websites and apps on people's behalf, and why Amazon has so much riding on the answer. For the definitive word on the issue, we ask Muse what it has to say for itself, and get an impressively sophisticated and evenhanded answer. We recorded this week's show live at Daniel's Broiler in downtown Seattle…
Starfish Space to Launch First Otter Satellite-Servicing Spacecraft Next Month
Starfish Space plans to launch its first Otter satellite-servicing spacecraft next month to test inspection and docking technologies.
Starfish Space to Launch 660‑lb Otter on SpaceX Transporter‑18 Oct. 1 for NASA’s $15M SSPICY Satellite‑Inspection Mission
Starfish Space will launch its full-size Otter on SpaceX's Transporter-18 no earlier than Oct. 1 from Vandenberg to demonstrate close-up inspection of inoperable satellites for NASA’s $15 million SSPICY mission; the 660-pound vehicle follows two prototype tests and will approach selected decommissioned satellites after commissioning. The company says Otter is built, has a customer and mission, and insights will inform future servicing operations.
Seattle Tech Week 2026 Draws ~250 Events Over Five Days, Showcasing City’s Tech Talent and Innovation
Seattle Tech Week 2026 ran five days with roughly 250 events across diverse venues, celebrating Seattle’s dense tech talent and community connections while highlighting themes from founders, investors, and academics. Organizers view the event as a community-led showcase that reinforced Seattle’s historic and ongoing contributions to cloud, AI, and other innovations.
Helion’s $465M Series G Values Everett Fusion Firm Above $15B, Tops Seattle-Area 2Q VC Deals
Everett fusion-energy company Helion led greater Seattle-area 2Q venture capital deals with a $465 million Series G that valued it above $15 billion, making up nearly one-third of the region’s $1.5 billion in 2Q funding amid a year-over-year decline from $2.3 billion in 2Q 2025.
Seattle Startups Raise $2.7B in H1 2026 — Down 40% Year‑Over‑Year While U.S. VC Hits Record $412.7B
Seattle-area startups raised $2.7 billion across 163 deals in H1 2026, a roughly 40% drop from $4.5 billion a year earlier, as national venture funding surged to a record $412.7 billion driven largely by AI mega-rounds that Seattle’s pure-play AI companies did not capture.
K2 Space Opens Seattle Engineering Office to Support Production of Mega-Class Satellites with $1 Billion in Contracts
K2 Space, a California-based company specializing in large, high-power satellites for government and commercial clients, is opening an engineering office in the Seattle area to support its growth. The company has raised over $500 million, secured $1 billion in contracts, and plans to produce hundreds of satellites annually by 2030.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seattle AI Startup Silkline Raises $4M Seed Funding to Enhance Manufacturing Supply Chain Tools
Silkline, a Seattle-based AI startup founded in 2023, raised $4 million in seed funding to enhance its AI tools that help advanced manufacturing companies streamline supply chains and reduce production delays. The company has rapidly grown revenue fivefold year-over-year and counts major aerospace and robotics manufacturers as customers.
Report: "Cascadian Dynamism"—Pacific Northwest startups marry AI and physical systems across fusion, satellites, robotics and energy
The Pacific Northwest is spawning a cluster of engineering-heavy startups—what the author calls "Cascadian Dynamism"—that combine AI with physical systems (autonomy, fusion, satellites, robotics, energy) driven by regional talent, infrastructure, and nearby enterprise and federal customers.
2025 GeekWire Awards Finalists: Lassen Peak, Lumotive, Microsoft, Starfish Space, and TerraPower Compete for Innovation of the Year
The 2025 GeekWire Awards Innovation of the Year finalists include Lassen Peak, Lumotive, Microsoft, Starfish Space, and TerraPower, featuring advancements in nuclear power, quantum computing, weapon detection, and sensor technology. These innovations highlight emerging technologies that could significantly impact future living and work.
Pacific Northwest Tech Startups Raise $762M in Q4 2024 with Zap Energy and Auger Leading Funding Rounds
Venture capital funding for Pacific Northwest startups rose over 20% year-over-year in Q4 2024, totaling $762 million across 48 deals, driven by major rounds from Zap Energy and Auger. Despite being well below 2021 peaks, the region shows positive momentum amid a cautious but moderately optimistic U.S. VC market influenced by AI investment growth.
Starfish Space Secures $29M to Launch Otter Orbital Servicing Vehicles for U.S. Space Force, NASA, and Intelsat
Starfish Space raised $29 million led by Shield Capital to develop its first three Otter orbital servicing vehicles aimed at servicing satellites for the U.S. Space Force, NASA, and Intelsat. The funding will enable launching the Otters, which use innovative docking technologies to inspect, service, and safely dispose of satellites in orbit.
Starfish Space Wins $15 Million NASA Contract for 2027 Satellite Inspection Mission
Starfish Space has been awarded a $15 million NASA contract for a three-year mission using its Otter spacecraft to inspect defunct satellites in orbit starting in 2027. This mission aims to advance satellite servicing and orbital debris mitigation as part of NASA's Space Sustainability Strategy.
Dance Church raises $4.7M seed to scale Dance Church Go subscription platform, led by MaC Ventures
Seattle-based Dance Church raised $4.7 million in seed funding to expand its Dance Church Go online subscription platform, which offers on-demand classes for $19/month or $199/year and a pay-as-you-go live option. The company, founded by Kate Wallich and recently hiring CEO Clara Siegel, plans to scale after growing to 144,000 online streamers with backing led by MaC Ventures and participation from several Pacific Northwest investors.
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.
People
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Austin Link Founder, Co-founder, Executive Officer, Director, Promoter
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Trevor Bennett Founder, Co-Founder, Executive Officer, Director, Promoter
