Space Startups Pull In Big Rounds as Europe Pushes for Alternatives to U.S. Firms

A wave of fresh capital lands

Money is pouring into space startups as they sprint to scale and governments look beyond U.S. heavyweights like SpaceX. Open Cosmos grabbed the spotlight with a 300 million euros round that the company says was oversubscribed. CEO Rafel Jordà Siquier told CNBC they prioritized European backers aligned with the company's mission and will use the funds to grow Europe's satellite backbone, strengthen connectivity, and provide real time insights. Despite posting profits for five straight years, he said the company is raising more given how many openings they see in space. As he put it: "There need to be multiple companies, and they will be emerging from everywhere, from the U.S., from Europe, from China, from all over the place."

Open Cosmos has already flown with SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and Europe's Arianespace, and has agreements with launch providers in India and Japan.

More deals, bigger ambitions

The Exploration Company disclosed a $450 million Series C in recent days. In Spain, PLD Space added 108 million euros, taking its Series C to 288 million euros. Germany's HyImpulse raised over 50 million euros of fresh equity by extending its Series A.

Also this month, Marlan Space and Loft Orbital rolled out a $1 billion plan to build a 50-satellite, AI-enabled constellation with partners that include French AI firm Mistral. And Amazon Leo booked six more launches with Europe's Arianespace, another signal that demand for European launch services is growing.

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Launches, capacity and the gap with the U.S.

Earlier this month, Europe notched a milestone as Germany's Isar Aerospace was the first commercial European firm to put satellites into orbit. In June, the company raised 270 million euros to scale manufacturing and broaden its network of launch sites. Even so, the funding gap is evident: earlier this month, U.S. rocket startup Stoke Space closed a $1 billion raise to hasten progress on Nova, its reusable launch vehicle.

According to the OECD, in 2025, recipients of private space investment were 67% based in the U.S., compared with 12.8% in Europe. The Space Foundation pegs the U.S. public space budget at about $77 billion in 2024, and the European Space Policy Institute said that was roughly five times Europe's. Europe has stepped up its launch cadence in 2026, but it is still tiny next to SpaceX, which flies Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy frequently for Starlink and numerous other customers.

Politics, warnings and what it means for your portfolio

The International Space Summit in Paris last week, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, underscored the political crosscurrents that could shape Europe's catch-up effort. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius welcomed the new money but cautioned that it could work against Europe's aims if national strategies trump coordination.

For your wallet, the takeaway is simple: real money is flowing into satellites, rockets, and constellations, but winners will be picked not just by technology and capital, but by access to launch, customer contracts, and policy momentum. Watch who converts headline funding into reliable launch capacity and recurring revenue.

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