German rocket developer Isar Aerospace gets money from NATO
The Munich-based microlauncher start-up Isar Aerospace now has a total of 400 million euros at its disposal.
Rockets from Isar Aerospace still only take off in the computer.
(Image: Isar Aerospace)
The Munich-based start-up Isar Aerospace has raised an additional 65 million euros in its current financing round. This brings the company's total funding in this round to 220 million euros. The start-up, which develops small launch vehicles (or micro-launchers), has a total of 400 million euros at its disposal. Last May 2024, Isar Aerospace announced plans to build a production facility near Munich. The plan is to produce 40 launchers a year there.
Part of the investment comes from the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), which is supported by 24 member countries of the military alliance and aims to help tech companies develop defense technology. According to Isar Aerospace, this is the first direct investment by the NIF in a company that wants to offer satellite launches. Other investors include family office G3T, 10x Group, Besant Capital, Finadvice Med HOLDINGS and LP&E. The money to date has come from Lakestar, Earlybird, Airbus Ventures, Bayern Kapital and UVC Partners.
Small payloads
Andrea Traversone, NIF Managing Partner of the NATO Innovation Fund, said: "Access to space is crucial for the technological sovereignty of Europe and the UK." The NIF will not only support Isar financially.
Microlaunchers are smaller rockets in contrast to the SpaceX launchers or the European Ariane rockets. In Germany, in addition to Isar Aerospace, the start-ups Rocket Factory Augsburg and HyImpulse as well as Gaia Aerospace, a registered association, are currently planning to launch such rockets into orbit. They are no longer than 30 meters and their cargo is correspondingly small. In particular, they could be used to launch cube satellites into space.
(anw)
