Ones to watch
Hand-picked, not ranked by money raised: the startups we think are genuinely underrated right now, and the reason each one made the list. Curation changes as the record does.
LandSpace Why now: Third company ever to land an orbital-class booster (August 2026); a reflight is promised before the year ends.
Starfish Space Why now: Satellite servicing went commercial and Starfish just raised a $110M Series B (April 2026) to fly its Otter vehicles.
K2 Space Why now: The bet that cheap heavy launch makes satellites big again: $250M Series C at a $3B valuation, December 2025.
Impulse Space Why now: Tom Mueller building the delivery trucks of orbit; $300M Series C in June 2025 with vehicles already flying.
The Exploration Company Why now: Europe's shot at a Dragon-class capsule. Its $160M Series B is the largest by any European space startup.
Albedo Why now: 10 cm satellite imagery from very low orbit; first satellite launched in 2025 and a Series B near $100M.
Space Forge Why now: Makes semiconductors in orbit and returns them to Earth. NATO's innovation fund led its record UK Series A.
AstroForge Why now: Asteroid mining that actually launches missions while others write papers; platinum-group metals are the prize.
Orbit Fab Why now: Gas stations in space moved from pitch decks to purchase orders: Series B closed March 2026.
Galactic EnergyWhy now: Pallas-1, its first reusable rocket, is on the pad at Jiuquan with a debut slated for late August 2026.