Jacksonville-based aerospace startup, Star Catcher Industries, has successfully raised $65 million in a Series A funding round to advance its development of the first orbital power grid. With this new investment, led by B Capital and co-led by Shield Capital and Cerberus Capital Management, the company’s total funding now stands at $88 million. Star Catcher is pioneering an orbital energy transmission system using optical power beaming technology to wirelessly supply power to satellites and spacecraft. This innovation aims to tackle the power limitations currently hindering satellite communications, Earth observation, defense, and computing systems in space.
The announcement also included news that General John W. “Jay” Raymond (Ret.), the inaugural Chief of Space Operations for the US Space Force, will join the company’s board of directors. Star Catcher plans to launch its first space-based optical power beaming demonstration later this year, marking a significant step toward creating scalable in-orbit energy infrastructure. This infrastructure aims to provide additional power to spacecraft without significant hardware modifications.
Andrew Rush, co-founder and CEO of Star Catcher, emphasized the growing importance of orbital infrastructure, likening it to terrestrial infrastructure. He highlighted the power limitations faced by major applications driving the space economy and expressed confidence that Star Catcher can overcome these challenges.
Founded less than two years ago, Star Catcher has already achieved an on-orbit subsystem demonstration and set a world record for optical power beaming. The Series A funding will support further flight missions and the expansion of the company’s engineering and operational capabilities. Investors anticipate an increasing demand for orbital infrastructure as space activities expand.
Optical power beaming systems transmit electricity wirelessly between spacecraft using focused light energy. This technology could reduce reliance on large solar arrays and batteries, extend mission lifetimes, and enable more energy-intensive applications in orbit. Star Catcher’s progress has attracted interest from defense agencies and private investors, with a customer pipeline that includes commercial satellite operators and US government stakeholders. The company has signed seven power purchase agreements and secured multiple government contracts.
General Raymond highlighted the strategic importance of space-based energy infrastructure for both commercial and defense operations, emphasizing its potential to enhance surveillance, communications, and maneuverability in space. The new funding will support a second orbital mission, moving Star Catcher closer to commercial deployment of on-demand power services in space.
