Aetherflux, a space solar startup founded by the billionaire co-founder of Robinhood Baiju Bhatt, raised $50 million in a Series A funding round as it strives to launch its first low-Earth Orbit demonstration in 2026.
Startups based in San Carlos, California Out of invisibility last Octoberaiming to eventually launch a constellation of a low-Earth orbit satellite that can directly collect solar energy into “ground stations” on Earth. The idea was originally caused by Isaac Asimov’s 1941 short story “Rational”. Bhatt focuses on turning this sci-fi-inspired concept into reality.
But first, Aetherflux needs to make satellites orbit prove this technology to “prove that we have made this transformative progress from humanity not from space to strength to humanity,” Bhatt, founder and CEO of the startup, told TechCrunch.
At least, that’s the goal for launch next year, which will be supported by the new Capital Aetherflux. After Bart invested $10 million in the company, the round brought Aetherflux’s total funding to $60 million. The Series A is led by Index Ventures and Interlagos, Bill Gates’ breakthrough energy venture capital, Andressen Horowitz and the NEA, and some other interesting names like Jared Leto rounded it up.
Bhatt, join us TechCrunch Equity Podcast Earlier this year, TechCrunch told TechCrunch that AetherFlux will use the funds to hire more engineers and invest in the technology and infrastructure needed for the first few tasks.
“Our team is now focused primarily on building the payloads that are located on the top of the bus … This takes all the power generated by the satellite bus and turns it into a laser force,” Bart said.
Aetherflux is in use Vertex spaceAries satellite bus. Satellite buses are the core structure and system of satellites that provide essential functions for their operations such as power, propulsion and communication. Most buses generate electricity through solar panels, and Bart said that energy (kilowatts of energy) will be sent back to Earth by laser.
On the receiving end will be Aetherflux’s “ground station”, composed of photovoltaic arrays that convert sunlight into energy stored in the battery for later use. Bart said his team, composed of engineers and researchers from NASA, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Anduril and the U.S. Navy, is also working to build Aetherflux’s first ground station. The startup doesn’t have the station’s location yet, but it is evaluating military ruins where there is more space.
The goal in the future is to build small portable ground stations (5 to 10 meters in diameter) to bring power to the most remote locations, Bart said.
“What we want to show [with the first mission] “It’s an end-to-end power connection. We want to be able to prove that we actually have power and use it to light up the light to install or do some electronic functions on the ground.”
Few people accomplish the feat of sending solar energy from space to Earth. One of the only successful tasks is in 2023 Caltech’s solar energy project Wireless power transfer is demonstrated from low-Earth orbit using microwave beams. This proves the concept, but lags behind due to the inability to perform scalable commercial systems.
Aetherflux’s salary increase from award The Operational Capacity Improvement Fund from the Department of Defense develops solar energy for the U.S. military.
