Kiwi space capsule startup raises $10.5M pre-seed
Synopsis
Outlier Space has landed $10.5 million in pre-seed funding to create reusable space capsules that support manufacturing in microgravity, opening new commercial opportunities beyond Earth.
New Zealand space technology start-up Outlier Space is looking to speed up the development of reusable space capsules with the aid of a US$10.5 million pre-seed investment round.
GD1 led the funding round along with Airtree, Investible, Icehouse Ventures, Side Stage Ventures, Nova Threshold and Brian Cartmell, who is an angel investor. The raise is one of the highest publicly announced pre-seed rounds for a New Zealand startup being announced.
The new investment will enable the development of spacecraft, engineering activities and preparations for future commercial operations.
The Auckland-based business wants to offer spacecraft capable of launching manufacturing equipment into space, allow manufacturing to take place in orbit, and safely bring those products back to Earth.
Reusable Capsules Target Commercial Manufacturing
Outlier Space is a startup with a founder that is a former Rocket Lab executive, Jamie France. Rather than making the products, the company is developing reusable orbital capsules that customers can use to create the products in space.
Initial commercial interest has been gained from pharmaceutical and biotechnology and semiconductor companies in the United States and Europe, where companies are investigating the benefits of microgravity for specialised production processes.
If the engineering advances, regulatory clearances and launch opportunities are successful, the company will launch its first orbital mission in 2028. Outlier Space didn't report any revenue, and is still a product development company, so it is the first external financing that Outlier Space has revealed.
Space Manufacturing Attracts Global Investment
The money follows the growing commercial activity of space-faring manufacturers.
The global in-space manufacturing market is expected to grow from US$1.21 billion in 2025 to reach US$1.50 billion in 2026, and rise to US$3.51 billion by 2030, according to The Business Research Company's In-Space Manufacturing Global Market Report 2026.
Established commercial launch providers and private investment and government space programs are currently dominating North America.
Investment in orbital manufacturing also has increased in Europe and Australia and New Zealand is continuing to build space sector resilience via emerging companies, research collaborations and government programs.
The capsule design by Outlier Space is an example of the general trend in the industry to reduce the cost of commercial manufacturing in orbit by reusing spacecraft instead of single use missions.
Source: Startup Daily
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
