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Isar Aerospace

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Isar Aerospace
Company typePrivately held company
IndustryAerospace
FoundedMarch 2018
Founder
  • Daniel Metzler
  • Markus Brandl
  • Josef Peter Fleischmann
FateActive
Headquarters,
Germany
ProductsSpectrum
Number of employees
400+ [1] (2024)
Websitehttps://isaraerospace.com

Isar Aerospace is a German aerospace company based in Munich, Germany. The company was founded in 2018.[2] The company is named after the river that flows through Munich.[3]

Development

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The company is developing Spectrum, a two-stage, liquid-fueled rocket designed to launch 1,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit.[4]

Isar Aerospace intends to manufacture 80% of the rocket themselves, using primarily technology from the tech firms in the area surrounding Munich.[5]

The first test flight of Spectrum is planned for 2024.[citation needed]

Funding

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In 2018 Isar Aerospace received first angel investment from early SpaceX leader Bulent Altan and others.[6][7]

In April 2020 Isar Aerospace closed US$17M in Series A funding led by Earlybird and Airbus Ventures to build its space platform.[8][9]

In December 2020, the company got an additional €75 million ($91 million) in funding led by Lakestar and with participation of HV Capital and Ann-Kristin and Paul Achleitner as well as existing investors.[10]

In July 2021, Porsche SE acquired a small stake in Isar Aerospace.[11] The financial terms of the deal are not disclosed, but it is known that in the new round of financing, the startup raised about $75 million. Porsche explained of its investment that Isar Aerospace had great potential to become a leading European manufacturer of launch vehicles.[12][13]

In March 2023, the startup raised a $165 million Series C from 7-Industries Holding, Bayern Kapital, Lombard Odier and existing investors.[14]

An additional $70 million was raised in 2024 from the NATO Innovation Fund and others as an extension of an earlier Series C round. The total funding is now greater than 400 million euros.[15]

Partnerships

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In April 2021, Isar Aerospace, signed a contract with Andøya Space to lease the launch pad. The 20-year deal will allow the company to launch their Spectrum launch vehicle.[16]

In January 2022 the company won European Commission's European Innovation Council (EIC) Horizon Prize "Low-Cost Space Launch", which included a grant of 10 million Euros.[17]

In July 2022, Isar Aerospace announced that the French space agency, the CNES, selected the startup to be the first private company launch from the Guiana Space Centre, in French Guiana. The company will use the launchpad formerly used by Diamant.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "SpaceX's German rival Isar Aerospace secures €65M from Nato Innovation Fund — TFN". Tech Funding News. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  2. ^ Berger, Eric (September 21, 2020). "A German rocket startup seeks to disrupt the European launch industry". Ars Technica.
  3. ^ "US interest in German space start-ups is not rocket science". www.ft.com.
  4. ^ "German launch startup raises $17 million with help from Airbus Ventures and an ex-SpaceX employee". SpaceNews. December 12, 2019.
  5. ^ "German Aerospace Startup Joins the International Space Race". amp.interestingengineering.com. 7 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Bulent Altan: Rocket Man". yung and wlde (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Alpine Space Ventures schließt 170 Mio. EUR Early-Stage-Fonds". VC Magazin (in German). 11 July 2024.
  8. ^ Maday, Melissa (April 16, 2020). "Isar Aerospace Expands Into Next-Generation Rocket Production Facilities Near Munich". SpaceWatch.Global.
  9. ^ Tischer, Simon (20 December 2019). "Isar Aerospace schließt Finanzierungsrunde mit 17 Millionen Dollar ab". Munich Startup (in German).
  10. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (8 December 2020). "Germany's Isar Aerospace raises $91M to get its satellite launch vehicle off the ground". TechCrunch. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Porsche инвестировала в разработчика ракет-носителей Isar Aerospace". inventure.com.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  12. ^ "Porsche приобрела долю в разработчике ракет-носителей". TAdviser.ru. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  13. ^ Heuberger, Sarah (28 July 2021). "Isar Aerospace gewinnt Porsche als neuen Investor". Business Insider (in German).
  14. ^ "Space company Isar Aerospace secures Series C Funding Round of USD 165m to meet global demand for access to space". SpaceNews. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  15. ^ Foust, Jeff (2024-06-20). "Isar Aerospace raises $70 million". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  16. ^ "Isar Aerospace signs exclusive launch pad in Norway for up to 20 years". www.andoyaspace.no. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  17. ^ "Isar Aerospace wins European Commission's EIC Horizon Prize and receives 10 million euros – CAREERS IN SPACE". 28 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Isar Aerospace selected to be first privately-funded launch services company flying satellites from Guiana Space Centre". www.isaraerospace.com. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
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