Starcloud raises $250 million for orbital data centers as launch options dry up

Starcloud, a startup developing satellites that can perform AI inference in orbit, told TechCrunch that it has added a $250 million extension to its March $170 million Series A funding round. The extension values the company at $2.3 billion.

The additional capital will allow the company to open a larger manufacturing facility and advance its largest orbital data center spacecraft, Starcloud-3, which is intended to fly on SpaceX’s forthcoming Starship rocket. CEO Philip Johnston is also amassing capital to ensure that he can launch his satellites as the market for rocket transportation tightens up.

“We can see what’s coming—we’re going to need to book an enormous amount of launch,” Johnston told TechCrunch. Starcloud has already requested permission from the FCC to operate 88,000 spacecraft.

“As soon as we can, we want to get under contract with things like Starship,” Johnston said. “One of the biggest costs is now on securing your launch capacity….launch is pretty constrained right now because [SpaceX’s] Falcon 9 program is scheduled to end in 2028.”

Launch costs were already one of the biggest challenges for orbital data center startups, to the point that one startup has decided to build its own rockets.