ElevationSpace Raises $40M Series B for Space-to-Earth Transportation Services

ElevationSpace Inc. Raises $40 Million Series B to Advance Space-to-Earth Transportation Services

Japanese space logistics company ElevationSpace has raised $40 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its total funding since inception to $63.5 million.

The round included participation from a broad group of institutional and corporate investors, including SPARX Asset Management, Beyond Next Ventures Inc., Energy & Environment Investment, ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Nissay Asset Management, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co.,Ltd., NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc., SBI Investment, Z Venture Capital, and several others.

ElevationSpace is developing the ELS-R series of satellites for space environment utilization and recovery missions, along with the ELS-RS platform, which is designed to provide frequent cargo return services from space stations back to Earth.

The company is leveraging Japan's expertise in small-scale guided re-entry technology, which is used to safely return payloads from orbit.

The company stated that assembly of "AOBA," its first private re-entry satellite and the inaugural vehicle in the ELS-R series, is nearing completion.

The funding will support development and operation of its transportation and recovery platforms, as well as expansion into international markets.


CEO Ryohei Kobayashi said re-entry and recovery technologies represent a critical component of future space transportation infrastructure. He noted that the company has secured multiple research and development projects related to cargo recovery, crewed spacecraft operations, and planetary return missions, and plans to use the new funding to accelerate development of future vehicles while expanding into the European and U.S. markets.

ElevationSpace has also been selected for multiple initiatives under Japan's Space Strategy Fund, including programs focused on high-frequency cargo recovery systems and foundational technologies for future human space transportation.

Image Credits: Elevation Space