Romanian investment firm, Early Game Ventures, provides space-tech startup Orbital Matter with a EUR 1 million seed round of funding.
Orbital Matter Takes a Giant Leap in Space Manufacturing
Orbital Matter, a Romanian space-tech startup, is making waves in the rapidly evolving space industry. The company's innovative approach to space manufacturing is set to revolutionise the sector, reducing launch costs and complexity by fabricating components in orbit.
Orbital Matter's breakthrough technology is a patented 3D printing method that combines liquid materials with an extrusion-based approach. This groundbreaking innovation drastically reduces launch weight by up to 70% and launch volume by a factor of ten compared to traditional payload delivery methods.
The technology's key advantage lies in leveraging microgravity conditions, where structural resistance requirements are lower, enabling the printing of complex structures difficult or impossible to launch conventionally. This method promises to overcome critical limitations of traditional space manufacturing such as payload mass inefficiency, volume constraints, and resistance to launch acceleration.
Orbital Matter's 3D printing process could enable construction and manufacturing in orbit more practically and efficiently. This could transform the space economy from satellite launches to on-site manufacturing and assembly. The startup aims to reach TRL 8, the "flight-qualified" certification, during its next product launch into space, a significant step towards commercial deployment and the fulfilment of its first client order.
The startup has already achieved impressive milestones. Its initial in-orbit demonstration has reached NASA Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5, proving the core technology’s effectiveness. Early Game Ventures, a venture capital firm, recognised Orbital Matter's potential and invested €1 million, a significant milestone for the startup as it transitions from research to commercial readiness.
Florin Vișa, Partner at Early Game Ventures, considers the investment as a bet on the future of orbital construction and space infrastructure. "Orbital Matter is uniquely positioned to bring advanced assembly and materials science to the rapidly expanding space industry," Vișa said.
Orbital Matter is integral to ESA's major plans for advancing space technology in Europe. The startup continues to benefit from contracts with European space agencies, positioning it to serve growing demands in the rapidly evolving space economy.
Space technology is no longer a niche curiosity but a critical component of the global economy. Innovations such as reduced launch costs, miniaturized technology, and private sector advances are transforming the space industry. Orbital Matter is recognised as one of Europe's few genuine space technology innovators.
As the space industry expands beyond rockets and satellites into a platform for diverse new businesses including Earth observation, satellite internet, geospatial intelligence, and space-based manufacturing, Orbital Matter is preparing to fulfil its first orders. The startup's next product launch, targeted at TRL 8, will likely demonstrate the system’s flight qualification, paving the way for orders and broader adoption of space-based 3D printing for satellite components, structural elements, or other payloads.
In summary, Orbital Matter’s innovative extrusion-liquid material 3D printing for space manufacturing represents a significant step forward in reducing launch costs and complexity by fabricating components in orbit. The startup's achievements and future milestones promise to transform the space industry and open new prospects for in-space fabrication.
Science and finance intersect as Orbital Matter secures €1 million investment from Early Game Ventures, validating the startup's potential to revolutionize the space-and-astronomy sector with its groundbreaking 3D printing technology. This technology, leveraging microgravity conditions for manufacturing complex structures, promises to bring about a shift in the technology landscape of space manufacturing.
