Venture capital funding for space tech surged in the first half of 2026, driven by larger late-stage deals and industrial-scale investments.
Venture-backed space startups raised $11.3 billion across 244 deals in the first half of 2026, surpassing the $10.1 billion invested in all of 2025. The increase reflects a shift toward larger, later-stage financings rather than a rise in deal volume.
The median funding round more than doubled to $14.5 million from $7 million in 2025, with venture-growth and late-stage deals accounting for 87.4% of total investment. Seed funding dropped to just 1.5% of capital deployed, the lowest share on record.
Commercial launch companies led with $3 billion in funding, followed by satellites at $2.8 billion and space infrastructure at $1.2 billion. The trend signals a move toward industrial-scale production, benefiting established players with contracts and capacity.