Key Takeaways
- • Fortastra, a Torrance, California-based startup, closed a $30 million funding round to develop maneuverable spacecraft that protect satellites in orbit for the U.S. and its allies, according to Bloomberg.
- • The round was led by First In, a venture capital fund focused on security technology and advanced manufacturing, with Upfront Ventures, Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures, and ATX Venture Partners participating.
- • Fortastra launched its first two prototype spacecraft, designated Watchdog V0, to orbit on October 1 via a SpaceX Transporter-18 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
- • The company was founded last year by former SpaceX engineer Mike Smayda and follows an $8 million seed round announced in December, led by Upfront Ventures.
- • Fortastra plans to scale its production to hundreds or thousands of units, targeting persistent, multi-orbit security coverage for commercial and defense satellites.
Summary
Fortastra, a Torrance, California-based startup, has closed a $30 million funding round to develop maneuverable spacecraft designed to identify and respond to threats against civilian and military satellites in orbit, according to Bloomberg. The round was led by First In, a venture capital fund focused on security technology and advanced manufacturing. Upfront Ventures, Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures, and ATX Venture Partners also participated.
The company was founded last year by former SpaceX engineer Mike Smayda. Its previous round, an $8 million raise announced in December, was led by Upfront Ventures, with Generational Partners, Forward Deployed Venture Capital, Wave Function Ventures, and Bloomberg Beta also participating. Taken together, the two rounds indicate rapid investor backing for orbital security technology in a short period since the company's founding.
Fortastra has reached a technical milestone with its first two prototype spacecraft, designated Watchdog V0. The vehicles reached orbit on October 1 aboard a SpaceX Transporter-18 rideshare that lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base. According to reporting, the company plans to scale to hundreds or thousands of units, with the stated aim of establishing persistent, multi-orbit security coverage.
Fortastra's model addresses growing concern over the vulnerability of satellites that underpin commercial and government operations. Its stated goal is to provide physical security to government and commercial satellites, a capability that would allow the company to monitor and respond to on-orbit threats rather than rely solely on ground-based defenses.
The company was founded last year by former SpaceX engineer Mike Smayda. Its previous round, an $8 million raise announced in December, was led by Upfront Ventures, with Generational Partners, Forward Deployed Venture Capital, Wave Function Ventures, and Bloomberg Beta also participating. Taken together, the two rounds indicate rapid investor backing for orbital security technology in a short period since the company's founding.
Fortastra has reached a technical milestone with its first two prototype spacecraft, designated Watchdog V0. The vehicles reached orbit on October 1 aboard a SpaceX Transporter-18 rideshare that lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base. According to reporting, the company plans to scale to hundreds or thousands of units, with the stated aim of establishing persistent, multi-orbit security coverage.
Fortastra's model addresses growing concern over the vulnerability of satellites that underpin commercial and government operations. Its stated goal is to provide physical security to government and commercial satellites, a capability that would allow the company to monitor and respond to on-orbit threats rather than rely solely on ground-based defenses.
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