Spaceium
Network of in-space refueling and repair stations
- Initial Investment: November, 2024
- Financing Round: Seed
- Role: Angel Investor
- Thesis Focus: Aerospace & Defense, Robotics & Autonomy
- Founders: Ashi Dissanayake (CEO) LinkedIn & Reza Fetanat (CTO) LinkedIn
- Co-Investors: Initialized Capital, Zeno Ventures, A16Z Scout Fund, Crosscourt Ventures, Y Combinator
- Website: https://spaceium.com/
- Headquarters: Long Beach, CA
Spacecrafts currently cannot refuel in space. Instead, they must carry all the fuel required for the mission from Earth. An overwhelming 85% - 95% of the launch weight is fuel on a typical launch vehicle, with 80-90% burned off to reach orbit.
This is what Spaceium is solving for - Spaceium’s space refueling is estimated to increase customer profit (e.g. Spacex, Rocketlab, etc.) from an estimated $40M to an estimated $330M (an 8x improvement) through in-space refueling capabilities.
Spaceium’s fully automated space stations intend to efficiently store and transfer both cryogenic (extremely cold) and non-cryogenic fuels with zero loss during storage and transfer. And they can transfer fuel seamlessly to any spacecraft design using their proprietary modular robotic arm. Customers include launch vehicles, orbital transfer vehicles, moon landers, and spacecraft that benefit from increased payload capacity and extended travel capabilities. The Company’s long-term vision is to build service hubs along the space superhighway to connect Earth to Moon and Mars and help humanity to become multi multi-planetary species.