Paris-based space technology company The Exploration Company has raised $450 million in a Series C round, marking the largest-ever Series C funding round announced by a European space company.
- Founded in 2021 by Hélène Huby and a team of aerospace veterans, the company develops reusable space transportation systems, including spacecraft and rocket engines, for public and commercial space operators.
- The round was co-led by Bessemer Venture Partners, Atomico, and the Scaleup Europe Fund, managed by EQT, with participation from existing investors Balderton, Plural, Cherry Ventures, and Red River West.
“Hélène and the team at The Exploration Company have shown they can execute against the hardest problems in the industry with Nyx while they continue to drive new innovation with Storm. We believe they have the potential to become one of the most important companies in Europe and globally, and we’re proud to continue to back the team," explains Alex Ferrara, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners.
- The Exploration Company will use the funding to advance its Nyx reusable capsule toward a planned mission to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) and return to Earth. It will also accelerate the development and testing of Storm, a reusable high-thrust rocket engine designed to power a future European heavy-lift launcher.
- The company has secured approximately $680 million in total funding to date, alongside more than $2 billion in contracts and commitments globally, including projects with the European Space Agency and NASA. It currently employs more than 550 people across Europe, the US, and the UAE, with the new capital also supporting further hiring and industrial expansion.
