November's Space Dirt 🚀 (mid-month)

$1.4 billion from the U.S. government. $510 million for counter-drone radar. $238 million for ground autonomy. Hard tech is having a great November.

In our biggest Space Dirt ever, we have:

• 7 real estate highlights

• 8 companies emerging from stealth

• 18 fundings

• 11 agreements, partnerships & contracts

• 4 pieces of content I think you might enjoy

And a whole lot more.

Enjoy!

REAL ESTATE HIGHLIGHTS

Falcon ExoDynamics leased 7,620 SF at 1720 Holly Ave, El Segundo, CA. (source: Me!)

Reflect Orbital added 25,000 SF of space adjacent to its Hawthorne, CA HQ to increase its production capacity. (source: LinkedIn)

Framework Automation leased space in Playa Vista, CA. (source: Me!)

Anthro Energy leased 31,748 SF 2095 N Loop Rd, Alameda, CA. You can get a factory tour here. “Anthro Alameda” is one of the world's largest next-generation battery electrolyte facilities. (source: LinkedIn)

Pyka relocated its headquarters to the former Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda). (source: LinkedIn)

Rune leased 20,818 SF at 1500 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA. (source: LinkedIn)

Anduril has opened an advanced manufacturing facility in Sydney, Australia to produce its Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (XL-AUV). The opening follows the Royal Australian Navy’s award of a $1.12 billion Programme of Record to Anduril Australia to deliver a large fleet of Ghost Shark vehicles over the next five years. (source: Naval Technology)

STEALTH NO MORE

Eight companies emerged from stealth this month. This list spans everything from heavy-lift aviation to terraforming robots. Here's what’s being built:

Dynamo emerged from stealth, building the AS-10A, a turbine-electric quadcopter designed to carry 10,000 lb for heavy-lift aerial operations. Instead of one large rotor and mechanical shafts, the aircraft uses four large rotors powered by electric drive from twin turbine engines. The system ships in standard containers, assembles quickly on-site, and operates with a small ground crew. Dynamo operates as a service (customers book a lift on demand rather than buying an aircraft), promising rapid response, lower total cost (no ferry flights or idle crew time), fewer weather delays, and about 30% more throughput per shift. The company is targeting the $5 billion North American aerial crane market, which currently relies on aging helicopters, such as the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane, and a scarce pool of pilots. Ethan Blagg is the Founder. (source: X)

Why this matters: The heavy-lift helicopter industry is hitting a wall. Fleet aging, pilot shortages, and month-long backlogs mean critical infrastructure projects (such as power transformers, cell towers, and HVAC units) get delayed or canceled. If Dynamo can deliver a 10,000 lb lift capacity that ships in containers and operates like a service, rather than a specialized aircraft fleet, they're unlocking billions in stranded infrastructure work.

—

San Francisco, CA-based Dryft emerged from stealth with a $5 million seed round led by General Catalyst, with participation from Neo, Sheryl Sandberg's Fund, Jeff Wilke, C. Hughes Johnson, Dr. Markus Flik, Qasar, and angel investors. The company uses AI agents and mathematical optimization to automate operational processes in manufacturing that previously required extensive manual work or specialized experience, from adjusting orders to nudging suppliers. Dryft turns human intuition into machine intelligence, replacing static planning systems (ERPs) with context about every part, supplier, and material. With every transaction, Dryft refines its contextual representation of industrial knowledge. Co-founders are Anna-Julia Storch (CEO) and Leonie Freisinger (CTO). AJ and Leonie met at Stanford while finishing their MS in Data Science and researching predictive systems. As they saw how every digital system was being rewritten with AI, it became clear that the same needs to happen in the industrial world. The early engineering team includes talent from Stanford, Berkeley, MIT, NASA, Nvidia, and Amazon.

Why this matters: ERPs are still running factories the same way they did 30 years ago: static, rigid, unable to adapt. If Dryft can make manufacturing operations truly intelligent (learning from every transaction instead of following preset rules), they're targeting a multi-trillion-dollar inefficiency that's built into every supply chain.

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Deep Sky emerged from stealth as the world's first technology-agnostic carbon removal project developer. The Canadian company builds, owns, and operates Direct Air Capture (DAC) infrastructure to reverse climate change. Deep Sky Alpha, their first facility in Innisfail, Alberta, began operations in August 2025 and is the first to simultaneously deploy multiple DAC technologies. The company has secured $40M from Breakthrough Energy Catalyst (Catalyst's first-ever support of both a Canadian and DAC project) and has partnerships with Microsoft and RBC for carbon removal credits. Deep Sky is leveraging Canada's vast land, abundant clean energy (13 billion kWh of excess hydro & nuclear), and 398 billion tons of geologic storage capacity across basalt formations and saline aquifers. (source: Deep Sky)

Why this matters: Carbon removal is moving from concept to industrial scale. Deep Sky's multi-technology approach de-risks the DAC industry by running parallel experiments rather than betting on a single solution, and Microsoft's participation signals enterprise buyers are ready to pay for durable carbon credits.

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Co-founder Richard Wang (CEO) announced Voya Energy in a recent LinkedIn post. Voya emerged from stealth with a $13 million seed round led by Energy Impact Partners, with participation from Founders Fund, IQT, 8090 Industries, Overmatch Ventures, Trust Ventures, Seven Stars, Liquid 2 Ventures, SV Angel, and individual investors Brian Janous, Sheldon Kimber, and Peter Reinhardt. The company is pioneering a new energy system built on metal fuels: abundant, recyclable materials capable of storing and transporting energy vast distances without electric grids or pipelines. Voya has developed a new category of energy generation device to harness these metal fuels and deliver zero-emissions electricity. The other Co-founders are Matt Horton (Chief Commercial Officer) and Steven Kaye (CTO). (source: LinkedIn)

Why this matters: If metal fuels can work at scale, they solve the energy storage problem that batteries can't touch: long-distance transport without infrastructure. You can't ship electrons across an ocean, but you can ship recyclable metal. This could be the missing link between renewable generation and global energy demand.

—

Mersenne emerged from stealth, building compact, deployable atomic energy systems designed for use anywhere: the moon, Mars, and beyond. The company is starting on Earth, creating a terrestrial, commercial atomic energy system to manufacture radioisotopes and solve off-grid power for remote industry, expeditionary, and scientific use. Elliot Nell is the Co-founder and CEO, alongside Co-founder Kevin Sekniqi. Mersenne is hiring nuclear and thermohydraulic test engineers. (source: LinkedIn)

Why this matters: Off-grid power has always meant diesel generators or solar panels with limited capacity. If Mersenne can deliver compact atomic energy that works in remote locations (and eventually space), they're unlocking entire categories of industrial activity that are impossible today: deep-sea mining, polar research stations, lunar bases, and Mars colonies.

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Efference (YC F25) emerged from stealth in a LinkedIn post, building robotic cameras that treat vision as a software problem, not a hardware problem. The insight: humans don't have precise sensors (our eyes are noisy and imprecise), but we run sophisticated algorithms on top of them. Robotics already embraced this philosophy for robotic arms (starting with the ALOHA paper), and Efference is applying it to robotic vision by developing better algorithms and selling a camera that costs half as much as current options. The Efference H-01 is available for pre-order with deliveries in March 2026. Gianluca Bencomo is the Founder and CEO. He's a PhD student in Computer Science at Princeton University, advised by Tom Griffiths, working on 3D vision for robotics and optimization methods inspired by neuroscience. (source: Y Combinator)

Why this matters: Vision is the bottleneck holding back general-purpose robotics. If Efference can deliver reliable 3D vision at half the cost of existing cameras, they're removing one of the biggest friction points for anyone trying to train robotic policies at scale.

—

Galadyne Founder and CEO Chandler Luzsicza announced his new venture with a LinkedIn post. Galadyne applies commercial space breakthroughs to next-generation missile systems. The company is building liquid propulsion technology at the core of this transformation, bringing the performance and scale of modern rocketry to new platforms. Galadyne aims to rebuild fragile and outdated energetic materials supply chains using recent advances in liquid propulsion and launch operations. The company is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Pax Ventures, and a group of angel investors. Luzsicza is a former lead propulsion engineer of Starship at SpaceX. (source: LinkedIn)

Why this matters: SpaceX proved that liquid propulsion at scale is cheaper, faster, and more reliable than legacy approaches. Galadyne is betting the same revolution that changed space launch can transform missile systems, where supply chains haven't fundamentally changed in decades. If they're right, America's missile production could look more like Starship manufacturing than Cold War-era arsenals.

—

Terranova emerged from stealth with an oversubscribed $7 million seed round led by Outlander VC and Congruent Ventures, with participation from GoAhead Ventures, Gothams, and Ponderosa Ventures (a Galvanize fund), at a $25.1 million valuation. The company is building terraforming robots the size of cars at its 16,000 SF factory in Berkeley, CA, with one already in the field. The robots use underground injection to lift land and infrastructure, protecting cities from floods. Terranova's tracked robotic units autonomously drill wells and inject a slurry of wood waste into the ground to depths of 40-60 feet, slowly lifting land and eliminating subsidence caused by sea-level rise. Parts of San Rafael (CEO and Founder Laurence Allen's hometown) are sinking half an inch per year (three feet total in some neighborhoods like the Canal District), placing them at risk of flooding. Traditional seawall solutions cost the city $ 500 million to $900 million. Terranova quoted $92 million to lift 240 acres four feet. The wood won't decay as long as it remains wet underground, and the company can sell carbon credits to offset costs. (source: LinkedIn and TechCrunch)

Why this matters: 300 million people are at risk of routine flooding by 2050, and most cities can't afford billion-dollar seawalls. If Terranova's robots can lift land for 80-90% less than traditional solutions, this becomes the playbook for coastal cities worldwide.

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REAL ESTATE CORNER

A SPACE DIRT GATHERING, SAVE THE DATE:

I know there are a million holiday parties in December, but if you have some time, drop by Space Dirt’s🚀🍻.

Time: December 11 @ 5pm
Location: Being finalized at the time of press.

NOTABLE FUNDINGS

CHAOS Industries raised $510 million in a Series D led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation from 8VC and Accel, at a $4.5 billion valuation. This comes just four months after their $275 million Series C, bringing total funding to over $1 billion since founding in 2022. The Los Angeles-based company builds Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™)—radar and sensor systems that detect drones, missiles, and airborne threats up to 10 minutes faster than traditional radar. The funding will support expanded manufacturing and workforce scaling. Antonio Gracias (Valor) joins CHAOS's board. (source: CHAOS Industries)

Ground autonomy company Forterra announced a massive $238 million Series C funding round, which launched its valuation over the $1 billion mark. The funding round—which included $50 million in debt financing—was led by Moore Strategic Ventures with participation from RTX Ventures, Franklin Templeton, Hanwha Asset Management, and several other investors. New investors included Salesforce Ventures, Franklin Templeton, Balyasny Asset Management, 645 Ventures, Hanwha Asset Management, 9Yards Capital, RTX Ventures, and NightDragon. Existing investors doubling down on Forterra included XYZ Venture Capital, Hedosophia, Enlightenment Capital, and Crescent Cove, which provided both equity and debt and has been in the Forterra family since their Series A in 2021. (source: Tectonic)

Harbinger, a leading American-made medium-duty electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturer, today announced it has raised $160 million in a Series C funding round co-led by FedEx, the world’s largest express transportation company; Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund, a multibillion-dollar investment firm backing leading companies in electrification; and the world's largest recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturer THOR Industries, known for its operating companies which include Airstream, Jayco, and more. The round also featured major participation from Ridgeline, a longtime Harbinger investor backed by FedEx. Additional previous Harbinger investors that participated in the round include Tiger Global; Leitmotif, a U.S. venture capital firm backed by Volkswagen; and venture capital firms Maniv Mobility, Schematic Ventures, Overture Climate, Ironspring Ventures, ArcTern Ventures, Litquidity Ventures, and The Coca-Cola System Sustainability Fund, managed by Greycroft. With this round, Harbinger has raised $358 million to date. Along with its investment, FedEx placed an initial order for 53 Harbinger electric vehicles (EVs) from the company. (source: Harbinger)

Valar Atomics has closed a $130 million Series A funding round, led by Doug Philippone at Snowpoint Ventures with co-leads Day One and Dream, alongside participation from Balerion, Contrary, DTX, Alumni, Crosscut, Triplepoint, Palmer Luckey, Shyam Sankar, and other notable funds and angels. Doug Philippone, an experienced investor and operator with a background as an Army Ranger, JSOC Commander, and Head of Global Defense at Palantir, joins Valar’s board of directors. With support from previous investors Riot Ventures, Initialized Capital, and AlleyCorp, Valar Atomics is now capitalized to advance its ambitious plan to scale nuclear fission for global energy production. (source: Traded)

EnduroSat, which builds and operates advanced satellites, has secured $104 million in funding to open a new Space Center and meet growing demand for small- to mid-sized constellations. The fresh capital came from Riot Ventures, Google Ventures, Lux Capital, the European Innovation Council Fund, and Shrug Capital. In May 2025, the firm raised $43 million in a funding round led by Founders Fund, with participation from CEECAT Capital and Morphosis Capital, to scale production of its new Endurance Gen3 satellites and expand its U.S. operations. (source: vestbee)

Infravision, the company transforming how power grids are built and maintained with aerial robotics, today announced it has raised $91 million in Series B funding from investors led by GIC, with participation from Activate Capital and Hitachi Ventures, as well as existing investor Energy Impact Partners. The new capital will accelerate the adoption of Infravision’s innovative power line stringing system — a faster, safer, and more cost-effective alternative to traditional ground and helicopter methods. (source: Yahoo! Finance)

Neros Technologies closed a $75 million Series B led by Sequoia Capital, with participation from Vy Capital U.S. and Interlagos. This brings Neros' total raised capital to over $120 million. The funding comes immediately after a large Marine Corps contract and Neros' selection as one of the primary suppliers of FPV drones to the U.S. Army through the Purpose-Built Attritable System (PBAS) program. The capital will accelerate production of Archer/Archer Strike platforms, strengthen the China-free supply chain, and fund R&D for next-generation autonomous systems. (source: Neros)

San Diego, CA’s Fabric8Labs, an electrochemical additive manufacturing company, announced a $50 million funding round to expand its U.S.-based advanced manufacturing facilities, boosting capacity to produce tens of millions of components annually. The round was led by NEA and Intel Capital, with participation from existing investors Lam Capital, the corporate venture arm of Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ: LRCX), TDK Ventures, and SE Ventures, as well as new investors Marunouchi Innovation Partners, SK hynix, Ericsson Ventures, Masco Ventures, and Toppan Global Venture Partners. Powered by its breakthrough Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing (ECAM) technology, Fabric8Labs is scaling up production of next-generation electronics components that enable leading-edge systems in thermal management (AI/HPC), wireless communications (RF), and power electronics. The U.S.-based manufacturing footprint enables customers to move seamlessly from prototyping to high-volume production. (source: Fabric8Labs)

Exowatt, a next-generation renewable energy company, announced $50 million in additional funding to expand U.S. manufacturing and accelerate the deployment of its Exowatt P3 systems to energy-intensive AI data centers and power-hungry industrial sites nationwide. The new capital builds on strong market traction and prior financings, reflecting growing demand for reliable, quick-to-market, sustainable power as the AI revolution reshapes U.S. electricity needs. The $50 million capital investment was led by MVP Ventures and 8090 Industries and is an extension to Exowatt’s April 2025 $70 million Series A round led by Felicis, a leading venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, which also contributed. Additional investors for this extension include The Florida Opportunity Fund, DeepWork Capital, Dragon Global, Massive VC, New Atlas Capital, BAM, Overmatch, Protagonist, StepStone, Atomic, and Bay Bridge Ventures. Exowatt’s initial seed round of $20 million included notable angel investors Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and actor and environmentalist, Leonardo DiCaprio. (source: BusinessWire)

Lockheed Martin plans to invest $50 million into California-based maritime drone manufacturer Saildrone, with the goal of equipping Lockheed’s air-to-ground missile launchers onto a Saildrone unmanned surface vessel. The arrangement pairs Lockheed’s missile launchers, which are ubiquitous throughout the Navy’s fleet, with Saildrone’s autonomous maritime drones, which have historically focused on unclassified surveillance missions. (source: Breaking Defense).

Code Metal raised $36.5 million in Series A funding led by Accel, valuing the company at $250 million. In addition to Accel, RTX Ventures, Bosch Ventures, Smith Point Capital, LLC, Overmatch Ventures, AE Ventures, and individuals Bob Cohn, John Tenet, Paul Schimmel, Kendall Collins, and Chris Heinz participated in the round. Code Metal also received additional commitments from existing investors, including Shield Capital and J2 Ventures, with support from Fulcrum Venture Group. (source: CNBC)

Poseidon Aerospace secured $11 million in seed funding and is using the cash to develop two cargo-hauling unmanned aircraft, Egret and Heron. Tamarack Global led the seed round. Other backers include Drover Ventures, Draper Associates, and Starship Ventures. Egret and Heron are both mid-build. Flight testing is expected in 2026. (source: Axios)

Sizable Energy raised $8 million, led by Playground Global, with participation from EDEN/IAG, Exa Ventures, Satgana, Unruly Capital, and Verve Ventures. The startup is building underwater "pumped hydro" power plants that store energy using super-salty water reservoirs on the ocean floor. When power is cheap, turbines pump salty water from bottom to top. When the grid needs energy, the heavier saltwater falls back down, spinning turbines to generate 6-7 megawatts per 100 meters of pipe. Deeper sites = more storage potential. Sizable aims to deliver energy storage for €20 per kWh (about $23)—one-tenth the cost of grid-scale batteries. The company has tested prototypes in wave tanks and off the coast of Italy, and plans to deploy several commercial projects by 2026. Sites need to be near water at least 500 meters deep. (source: TechCrunch)

LambdaVision closed a $7 million seed round led by Seven Seven Six and Aurelia Foundry Fund, with participation from Seraphim Space. The funding will allow the biotech company to continue operations through 2027, including scaling up in-space manufacturing for artificial retinas. LambdaVision produces artificial retinas in microgravity (LEO) to help people with degenerative retinal diseases. The company has flown nine missions to the ISS, where it produced a 200-layer protein thin film as a precursor to an artificial retina. LambdaVision recently won a NASA Phase 2 In Space Production Applications award to continue developing its in-space manufacturing process in partnership with Space Tango. The company is continuing to raise money in anticipation of a Series A. (source: Payload)

Allie AI, a San Francisco-based manufacturing intelligence firm that optimizes food and beverage factory operations, raised a $5.2 million seed round. The round was led by Voyager Ventures, with participation from Spero Ventures, Tesla, and eBay co-founders, and BDev Ventures. (source: Axios)

Icarus’ CEO, Henry Kwan, announced on LinkedIn that Icarus has “raised a lot of money.” (source: LinkedIn)

Modal Motors, a Michigan-based electric motor manufacturer specializing in non-rare earth hub motors, drone propulsion systems, and robotic actuators, has raised $2 million in a seed funding round. The company will use the funding to bring its next generation of electric motors into production. The new funds will accelerate Modal Motors’ transition from R&D and prototyping to full-scale manufacturing at its Michigan facilities, supporting the company’s mission to redefine electric propulsion through 100% U.S.-based production and a fully domestic supply chain. (source: Charged)

Firehawk announced—just two months after closing a $60 million funding—that it’s received an additional “eight-figure” strategic investment from Hanwha Defense USA, according to a company spokesperson. Firehawk CEO Will Edwards told Tectonic that the partnership will accelerate the company’s ability to not only make propellant and rocket motors—their bread and butter—but build full-blown missile systems. (source: Tectonic)

AGREEMENTS, PARTNERSHIPS, & CONTRACTS

Intelligent power management company Eaton announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the Boyd Thermal business of Boyd Corporation from Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Boyd Thermal is a leader in thermal components, systems and ruggedized solutions for data centers, aerospace and other end markets. Under the terms of the agreement, Eaton will pay $9.5 billion, which represents 22.5 times Boyd Thermal’s estimated adjusted EBITDA for 2026. Boyd Thermal has forecasted sales of $1.7 billion for 2026, with $1.5 billion attributed to liquid cooling. (source: Eaton)

Vulcan Elements announced a $1.4 billion partnership with the United States Government and ReElement Technologies to scale Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies' 100% vertically-integrated, domestic rare earth magnet supply chain. Key features of the partnership:

• Vulcan Elements will build, commission, and operate a 10,000 metric tonne magnet facility in the United States.

• Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies will scale their 100% vertically-integrated, domestic magnet supply chain, which is already operating today, to enable 10,000 tonnes of annual magnet production—with a focus on recycling end-of-life magnets and electronic waste.

• Vulcan Elements' expansion to 10,000 tonnes of production capacity will be financed by a $620 million Direct Loan from the Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital, $50 million of federal incentives from the Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act, and $550 million in private capital.

• ReElement Technologies' expansion of its recycling and processing capabilities will be financed by an $80 million Direct Loan from the Office of Strategic Capital, matched by private capital.

• The Department of War will receive warrants in both Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies. The Department of Commerce will receive $50 million of equity in Vulcan Elements. (source: PR Newswire)

Archer signed definitive agreements to acquire control of one-of-a-kind aviation asset in LA, Hawthorne Airport, for $126 million in cash. The airport is located in the heart of LA, less than three miles from LAX, and the closest airport to some of the city’s biggest destinations — SoFi Stadium, The Forum, Intuit Dome, and Downtown LA. The acquisition price includes the acquisition of the master lease of the Hawthorne Airport, as well as certain subleases held by the seller parties with tenants at the airport. Archer plans for the airport to serve as its operational hub for its planned LA air taxi network and, as a test bed for the AI-powered aviation technologies it is developing and plans to deploy with its airline and technology partners. (source: BusinessWire)

Intuitive Machines, a company that develops lunar landers and other vehicles, has announced its acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems, a satellite manufacturer formerly known as Maxar Space Systems. Intuitive Machines signed an agreement with Advent International, the private equity company that owns Lanteris, to purchase Lanteris for $800 million: $450 million in cash and $350 million in Intuitive Machines Class A stock. “This strategic acquisition positions Intuitive Machines as a next-generation space prime directly in the flow of multibillion-dollar space programs,” Steve Altemus, chief executive of Intuitive Machines, said in a statement. The combined company, Intuitive Machines stated, had $850 million in revenue over the 12 months ending in September, along with positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). It would also have a contract backlog of $920 million. (source: Space News)

Neros Technologies was awarded a multi-million dollar delivery order contract with the U.S. Marine Corps to provide advanced small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS)—including kinetic-strike capable FPVs—together with comprehensive operator training and support across the Fleet Marine Force. Built without Chinese components and certified under the Department of War's Blue UAS program, Neros' Archer FPV drone has become the highest production rate drone built in the United States. The El Segundo-based company will partner with Kraken Kinetics (makers of the Terminus modular mission payload system) to deliver systems and training within months. (source: Neros)

Isembard is a London-based manufacturing platform expanding to the U.S. with a franchise model for small and midsize machine shops. The company's proprietary MasonOS platform connects robots, five-axis CNC machines, and automated workflows to help smaller manufacturers cut costs, shorten lead times, and compete with larger players without losing independence. Justin Baucum, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, leads the U.S. expansion as Employee No. 1 and General Manager for Texas (Dallas office). Isembard has four facilities that are nearly maxed out for capacity. The franchise model gives mom-and-pop shops access to shared resources, customer base, service standards, and eventually automation investments—while retaining ownership. (source: The Robot Report)

Lockheed Martin is teaming up with quantum-computing unicorn PsiQuantum for its work in areas like materials science, modeling, and simulation. The companies announced this week their newly inked memorandum of understanding. A key piece of the aerospace-and-defense agreement is Construct, a software suite in which quantum algorithms are designed and optimized. "Real, useful quantum computing will begin transforming the aerospace industry in a few short years, and now is the time for companies to prepare to seize the fullest potential of this technology," Mark Brunner, a PsiQuantum executive vice president, told Axios. (source: Axios)

Venus Aerospace announced a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin Ventures, accelerating development of its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) technology following a successful high-thrust flight test earlier this year. The test, described as a world first, marked a major milestone for next-generation propulsion and represents the first new rocket engine architecture to demonstrate flight-proven performance since the Apollo era. Venus is currently the only company with a flight-proven, high-thrust RDRE and a clear plan toward scalable production. Venus Aerospace has raised $106 million to date and continues to work with government and commercial partners to mature its engine family for mission deployment. The investment underscores growing collaboration between defense primes and emerging propulsion companies as the United States seeks to advance capabilities in strategic areas such as hypersonics and reusable high-speed systems. (source: PR Newswire)

Starlab Space announced that Leidos, an industry and technology leader with decades of experience in civil space and defense integration, will lead Starlab’s U.S.-based assembly, integration, and testing (AI&T) activities for the commercial space station. The collaboration reflects Starlab’s ongoing strategy to align with proven aerospace leaders and reduce risk across development, execution, and long-term operations. With Leidos, Starlab gains an experienced integrator capable of providing a wide range of activities, including real-time crew support and ground-based logistics and training infrastructure. (source: Starlab)

CX2 announced a radio frequency (RF) seeker plug-in for FPV drones called Vadris, which can identify the location from which a drone is being flown. The idea is pretty simple—rather than going for the drones themselves, target the pilot. “Everybody [is] trying to shoot down the drone, not go after the ground control,” CX2 CEO Nathan Mintz told Tectonic. “We said, ‘Well, you know, you’re much better off shooting the archer than taking down the arrows.’ This is designed to allow us to go on offense.” (source: Tectonic)

Widget Makers partnered with Neuramill to scale production for fast-growing space companies in Southern California. Widget Makers was founded by Joey Weinmann, who built his foundation at SpaceX working on the Dragon program before spinning out of his last startup. The shop produces high-precision parts for companies like Apex Space and equipment for brands like Chipotle. Neuramill provides AI-driven manufacturing decisions to help shops scale their operations. (source: LinkedIn)

WHAT I’M CONSUMING (AND ENJOYING!) 

Hey, PayPal, there’s a new mafia in town. I grabbed this from a Chris Pisarski LinkedIn post. If you’re curious about SpaceX alumni, here’s a website with all the details.

In his latest Substack, CX2's Nathan Mintz writes about Pete Hegseth’s latest memo/directive, “Transforming our warfighter acquisition system to accelerate fielding of capabilities,” and its chances of success given the nature of bureaucracy.

Mapping the vertical space economy: Aidan Daoussis of Balerion Space Ventures shared this map of the vertical space economy on his LinkedIn. From Aidan, “As the space economy expands beyond orbit, a new generation of companies is emerging to challenge legacy players — not just in where they operate, but how they build, deploy, and deliver.”

San Francisco Business Times profiled Astro Mechanica's bet that revolutionary propulsion tech needs to be near software talent (San Francisco), not traditional aerospace hubs. Interesting thesis on where hard tech innovation happens.

HOW I CAN HELP YOU

Here are 3* ways I can help when the time is right:

1. Find a new home for your growing business. You're scaling fast, and you don't have time to become a CRE expert. I do this every day.

2. Sublease your space. Outgrown your office, but don't want to pay two rents? I'll help you find a subtenant.

3. Negotiate your lease renewal. Want to make sure you’re getting a fair deal from your Landlord? In my experience, you can never be too sure. Start 12 months out, so you're not scrambling at the last minute.

Strong references available. Let's talk.

*Not an exhaustive list 💪

Thanks for reading.

If you’d like your office and/or manufacturing space or business profiled - or even your city! - let me know. It’s always fun to explore and share the different components of the hard tech industry.

Erik Stiebel
Founder and Vice President
CA DRE License #02080746
424.241.4795 | [email protected] 
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