The aerospace industry includes 25 unicorn startups, covering everything from space travel to defense technology. This group is led by SpaceX, which has reached a valuation of $400 billion.
Other major companies include defense specialist Anduril Industries, which has raised $6.2 billion, and drone maker DJI, valued at $8 billion. The list also features companies building 3D printed rockets and commercial space stations.
Below is the full list of 25 Aerospace unicorn startups at this time.
Top 10 Most Valuable Aerospace Unicorns
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Get the Sheet for $50SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, including the world's first reusable orbital-class rockets. Their work has dramatically reduced the cost of access to space, with a long-term mission to enable human life on Mars.
| Valuation | $400B (Joined December 2012) |
| Headquarters | Hawthorne, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2002 |
| Founders | Elon Musk |
| Funding Amount | $11.8B |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, Craft Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz |
Anduril builds defense products that use AI and robotics to solve national security challenges. They are known for their autonomous systems, including drones and sensor towers, which provide real-time intelligence for military and border surveillance missions.
| Valuation | $31B |
| Headquarters | Costa Mesa, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Brian Schimpf, Joseph Chen, Matt Grimm, Palmer Luckey, Trae Stephens |
| Funding Amount | $6.2B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series G |
| Top Investors | Valor Equity Partners, BlackRock, Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, General Catalyst |
DJI builds some of the world's most popular drones and camera technology for both professional and consumer markets. Their products are widely used for everything from filmmaking and industrial inspections to personal photography.
| Valuation | $8B |
| Headquarters | Shenzhen, Guangdong, China |
| Year Founded | 2006 |
| Founders | Frank Wang |
| Funding Amount | $107.8M |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Accel, HSG, Aeternam Stella, Lighthouse Capital Management, Victor Koch |
Sierra Space develops commercial space technologies, including the reusable Dream Chaser spaceplane. They are building an end-to-end business and technology platform in low Earth orbit to support the future of the space economy.
| Valuation | $5B |
| Headquarters | Louisville, Colorado, United States |
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Eren Ozmen, Fatih Ozmen |
| Funding Amount | $1.7B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Coatue, General Atlantic, MUFG Bank, BlackRock Private Equity Partners, AE Industrial Partners |
Relativity Space builds rockets almost entirely from 3D-printed parts using the world's largest metal printers. Their highly automated process aims to reduce the parts count by 100x and build a rocket from raw material to flight in just 60 days.
| Valuation | $4.2B (Joined November 2020) |
| Headquarters | Long Beach, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Jordan Noone, Tim Ellis |
| Funding Amount | $1.4B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | General Catalyst, BlackRock, Bond, Playground Global, Tribe Capital |
Beta Technologies builds an all-electric aviation system, centered on its versatile ALIA aircraft which can take off and land both vertically and conventionally. They support their aircraft with a dedicated high-speed charging network and integrated flight training simulators.
| Valuation | $3B (Joined April 2022) |
| Headquarters | South Burlington, Vermont, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Kyle Clark |
| Funding Amount | $1.8B |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Corporate Round |
| Top Investors | RedBird Capital Partners, GE Aerospace, Qatar Investment Authority, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Fidelity |
VistaJet operates the first and only global business aviation company, flying clients to nearly every country on its fleet of over 300 jets. They are known for their signature Program membership, which gives subscribers access to private flights worldwide at a fixed hourly rate.
| Valuation | $3B |
| Headquarters | Valletta, NA - Malta, Malta |
| Year Founded | 2004 |
| Founders | Lori Hanlon, Thomas Flohr |
| Funding Amount | $750M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Rhône Group, Credit Suisse |
ABL Space Systems develops low-cost launch vehicles and ground systems for the small satellite industry. They provide launch as a service using their RS1 rocket and the GS0, a fully containerized system that can be deployed globally.
| Valuation | $2.4B (Joined March 2021) |
| Headquarters | El Segundo, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Daniel Piemont, Harry O'Hanley |
| Funding Amount | $479M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Undisclosed |
| Top Investors | Leonid Capital Partners, Fidelity, Venrock, Lockheed Martin Ventures, T. Rowe Price |
Axiom Space builds and operates the world's first commercial space station, starting with modules that attach to the ISS. They provide end-to-end mission services for private astronauts, researchers, and government agencies seeking access to low-Earth orbit.
| Valuation | $2B (Joined February 2021) |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Kam Ghaffarian, Michael Suffredini |
| Funding Amount | $500M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | 1789 Capital, Sand Hill Angels, Declaration Partners, Alumni Ventures, Bossa Invest |
Stoke Space develops fully reusable rockets designed for orbital space mobility. Their approach focuses on creating a vehicle capable of both delivering payloads and returning from orbit to be rapidly reused, aiming to make space access more routine and affordable.
| Valuation | $2B |
| Headquarters | Kent, Washington, United States |
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Andy Lapsa, Thomas Feldman |
| Funding Amount | $1B |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Spark Capital, Long Journey Ventures, Y Combinator, National Science Foundation, Seven Seven Six |
The Remaining 15 Aerospace Unicorns
The ten most valuable companies are just one part of the story. A growing list of startups from the United States, Germany, and China are also reaching billion dollar valuations.
From supersonic jets to satellite technology, each company is tackling a different piece of the aerospace puzzle. Here’s a look at the other startups helping to define the future of the industry.