Newspace startup Isar Aerospace has announced an expansion of its Series C round by more than 65 million euros. This brings the total financing round to more than 220 million euros. A key contributor is the NATO Innovation Fund. The independent venture capital fund of the defense alliance for promoting technology companies is supported by 24 NATO member states. The capital for Isar Aerospace represents the first direct investment by the NATO Innovation Fund in a satellite services provider.
Andrea Traversone, managing partner of the NATO Innovation Fund, comments:
“Access to space is critical to Europe’s and the United Kingdom’s technological sovereignty. Space technologies like those of Isar are very promising and will enable us to create a secure and prosperous future for coming generations. We will support Isar in its introduction to the public and commercial sectors.”
Daniel Metzler, co-founder and CEO of Isar Aerospace, says:
“The NATO Innovation Fund’s investment in Isar Aerospace is a strong signal of confidence in our approach and underscores the fundamental role of space technologies for our economy and society. Moreover, it shows that European governments must support and utilize private innovation and products to remain competitive globally.”
Other new investors in the expansion round included European family office G3T and 10x Group, Besant Capital, Finadvice Med Holdings, and LP&E. Existing investors Lakestar, Earlybird, Airbus Ventures, Bayern Kapital, and UVC Partners also participated.
Isar Aerospace is Europe’s best-funded space company
The newspace startup develops launch vehicles that can transport satellites into Earth orbit. Since its founding in 2018, approximately 400 million euros have flowed into Isar Aerospace, according to the company. This makes the Munich-based startup the best-capitalized independent company in the new space sector in Europe.
The latest funding enables the startup to continue investing in the development and equipping of series production. In May 2024, Isar Aerospace announced the establishment of a production facility for commercial launch vehicles near Munich. The facility is planned to produce 40 Spectrum launch vehicles per year.
