What Space Forge does

Space Forge Limited is a Cardiff, Wales-headquartered in-space manufacturing company founded in 2018 by Joshua Western and Andrew Bacon. It develops and operates the ForgeStar® returnable, reusable free-flying satellite platform that hosts customer payloads in 500–800 km sun-synchronous low Earth orbit for the microgravity production of ultra-high-purity semiconductor seed crystals (GaN, SiC, AlN, Diamond) and other advanced materials, which are then returned to Earth via the patent-protected Pridwen origami-style reusable heat shield and Fielder water-based hover-net capture system. The vertically integrated stack also includes the Plasma Strike in-orbit semiconductor furnace (first free-flying commercial plasma-generation payload demonstrated in space on ForgeStar-1 in December 2025), and the Aether re-entry prediction software; terrestrial scale-up is anchored at the £13m National Microgravity Research Centre (NMRC) at Swansea University's Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM).

Space Forge is currently pre-commercial. Revenue to date consists almost entirely of non-dilutive UK and European government grants and contracted R&D from the UK Space Agency (Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund, National Space Innovation Programme), the European Space Agency's General Support Technology Programme, Innovate UK, the Welsh Government, the Texas Space Commission (via Intuitive Machines), and the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund, supplemented by equity from a $10.2M seed round (December 2021) and a record £22.6M (~$30M) Series A led by the NATO Innovation Fund in May 2025. Planned future commercial revenue streams are: (i) Microgravity-as-a-Service payload rides and recurring mission subscriptions on the ForgeStar platform; (ii) sales of space-grown wide-/ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor substrates for power electronics, telecoms, quantum and defence end markets; (iii) licensing/royalty arrangements with strategic partners including United Semiconductors, Intuitive Machines, Sierra Space, Northrop Grumman, and Voyager Space; and (iv) the Aether re-entry warning software offered under an early-access model. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based by mission, with no published price list.

Name

Space Forge

Legal name

Space Forge Limited

Website

https://spaceforge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Space Forge is a UK-based in-space manufacturing company that operates returnable, reusable satellites to produce ultra-high-purity semiconductor substrates and advanced materials in microgravity, serving power electronics, telecoms, quantum, and defence end markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

In-Space Semiconductor Manufacturing

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reentry, Descent & Landing Systems (Capsules, Heat Shields, Parachutes) (IMABACAL), Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF)

Keywords

• In-space manufacturing
• Microgravity semiconductor growth
• Reusable satellite platform
• Orbital materials manufacturing
• Space-returnable spacecraft

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government and institutional grants/contracts: Pre-commercial; revenue currently consists of grant and contracted R&D funding from UK Space Agency (Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund, National Space Innovation Programme), European Space Agency (General Support Technology Programme), Innovate UK, Welsh Government, Texas Space Commission (via Intuitive Machines), and UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund. £10M ESA GSTP award in Jun 2026, £7.9M UK Space Agency SCIF in Nov 2023, £2.2M UKSA NSIP in Mar 2026, and additional ESA GSTP and NSIP study contracts.
2. Venture equity investment (future commercial runway): Funded to date by a $10.2M seed round (Dec 2021) and a record-breaking £22.6M (~$30M) Series A (May 2025) led by the NATO Innovation Fund with World Fund, NSSIF, and British Business Bank. Future Series B planned.
3. Microgravity-as-a-Service (future commercial revenue): Planned commercial offering providing payload rides, in-orbit manufacturing services, and return logistics to third parties (pharma, alloys, semiconductors, ZBLAN optical fiber) on the ForgeStar platform with 10x annual launch cadence and "return anywhere" capability.
4. Space-manufactured semiconductor substrate sales (future): Planned long-term revenue from sale of ultra-high-purity, space-grown semiconductor seed crystals (GaN, SiC, AlN, Diamond) for power electronics, telecoms, quantum, and defence end markets; materials returned to Earth via Pridwen and processed at the National Microgravity Research Centre / CISM.
5. Strategic collaboration and licensing revenue (future): Anticipated revenue from co-development, licensing, and royalty arrangements with strategic partners such as United Semiconductors, Intuitive Machines, Sierra Space, Northrop Grumman, and Voyager Space covering materials deposition processes and platform access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Space Forge designs, builds and operates the ForgeStar® — a reusable, returnable free-flying satellite platform that manufactures ultra-high-purity semiconductor seed crystals (GaN, SiC, AlN, Diamond) and other advanced materials in low-Earth orbit microgravity, then returns them to Earth via the patent-protected Pridwen heat shield and Fielder water-based capture system for terrestrial scale-up. It also sells Microgravity-as-a-Service payload rides and offers the Aether re-entry prediction software as a standalone product.

Product overview

Space Forge offers an integrated in-space manufacturing platform built around the ForgeStar returnable satellite architecture. The core ForgeStar vehicle hosts customer payloads in low Earth orbit to manufacture high-quality materials (Diamond, SiC, GaN semiconductors) in microgravity, then returns them to Earth using the Pridwen reusable heat shield and the Fielder water-based hover-net capture system. Mission variants ForgeStar-1 (already in orbit on SpaceX Transporter-14, with a world-first plasma-generation milestone) and the next-generation ForgeStar-2 (designed to integrate with Intuitive Machines' Zephyr platform) extend the platform's manufacturing and return capabilities. The Aether prediction software provides real-time orbital tracking and predictive re-entry mapping with high location accuracy to coordinate the recovery loop, and the National Microgravity Research Centre in Swansea anchors the company's UK R&D footprint. Together these products form a single, vertically integrated system: ForgeStar (manufacture) + Pridwen (survive re-entry) + Aether (predict re-entry) + Fielder (capture and recover).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ForgeStar: Space Forge's proprietary returnable, reusable, and scalable orbital manufacturing platform - the satellite platform that enables microgravity production and return.
• Pridwen
• Aether
• Fielder

Products and services

• ForgeStar® Platform Returnable, reusable satellite platform for in-space advanced manufacturing. Hosts customer payloads in low Earth orbit, enables microgravity production of high-quality materials, and returns the manufactured goods to Earth using the Pridwen heat shield and Fielder capture system. Sold to enterprise and government customers on a custom-mission basis.
• ForgeStar-1 The first commercial in-space manufacturing satellite, launched June 2025 on SpaceX Transporter-14. Carries a semiconductor crystal-growth payload (Plasma Strike) and achieved world-first plasma generation in microgravity in December 2025, validating UK-built subsystems including a TISICS high-pressure tank.
• ForgeStar-2 Next-generation ForgeStar vehicle planned for semiconductor manufacturing at scale; designed to integrate with Intuitive Machines' Zephyr orbital return platform to broaden re-entry flexibility and support higher-cadence commercial production.
• Pridwen Reusable Heat Shield A flexible, deployable, reusable heat shield that protects returning ForgeStar satellites from atmospheric re-entry heat loads. Radiates heat rather than ablating, enabling full reuse and zero-burn re-entry. Demonstrated in a zero-G flight test in October 2025 and awarded £10M ESA GSTP funding in June 2026.
• Fielder Water-Based Capture System An un-crewed, high-agility water-based hover-net capture vehicle that manoeuvres beneath re-entering ForgeStar satellites to provide soft, low-shock landings for fragile high-value payloads such as pharmaceuticals and protein crystals.
• Aether Re-Entry Prediction Software A next-generation satellite and space-body re-entry warning and prediction system that combines real-time orbital tracking with predictive re-entry mapping to forecast location and timing of returning spacecraft with high location accuracy; offered to third parties under an Early Access programme.
• Space-Forged Semiconductor Substrates (Diamond, SiC, GaN) Space Forge's in-space manufactured semiconductor seed-crystal product line, including diamond, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) substrates, grown in microgravity to achieve up to 4,000x higher purity and 100x fewer defects than terrestrial equivalents. Returned to Earth via Pridwen and processed at the National Microgravity Research Centre / CISM.
• Microgravity-as-a-Service Bespoke mission-based service offering tailored payload rides on the ForgeStar platform (10-day to 6-month missions) and end-to-end return logistics, targeted at pharmaceutical, alloy, semiconductor and ZBLAN optical-fibre customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 60% reduction in energy consumption in downstream infrastructure
• +7 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• TISICScoreTechnology or Integration · 18 March 2026UK advanced materials company that supplied the high-pressure tank used aboard ForgeStar-1 to power the Plasma Strike experiment — a critical subsystem behind the world-first commercial plasma generation milestone. Provides TISICS with its first commercial flight heritage in space and reinforces UK space supply-chain strength.
• Swansea University — Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM)flagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 March 2026Host of the £13m National Microgravity Research Centre (NMRC) at which Space Forge is the first incubation client. CISM provides semiconductor processing tools, clean rooms, electronics labs, and a research community, and is the planned terrestrial scale-up site for space-grown seed crystals.
• UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Regulatory Innovation Office, and Civil Aviation AuthoritycoreOthers · 5 March 2026Joint regulatory partners with UK Space Agency providing a Re-entry Regulatory Sandbox, licensing guidance, and supply-chain engagement for in-orbit pharmaceutical manufacturing. Aligned with the Life Sciences Sector Plan and Modern Industrial Strategy 2025.
• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC, UKRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 December 2025Provides external mission support for ForgeStar-1, monitoring orbital decay and the world-first controlled satellite demise test using onboard systems and STFC tracking.
• ZeroGcoreTechnology or Integration · 23 October 2025World-leader in zero-gravity parabolic flights, headquartered in Exploration Park, Florida. Facilitated Space Forge's microgravity test campaign of the Pridwen heat shield across two days, gathering data on both nominal and off-nominal deployments that informed the orbital mission.
• United Semiconductors LLCflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Strategic MoU signed September 2025 to develop the supply chain for space-grown semiconductor materials for quantum computing, power electronics, sensors, and display markets. Combines Space Forge's microgravity materials deposition processes and ForgeStar-compatible equipment with United Semiconductors' bulk crystal growth, wafer processing, and testing capabilities.
• Intuitive MachinesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2025Strategic partnership announced July 2025 to integrate Space Forge's semiconductor manufacturing payload into Intuitive Machines' Zephyr orbital return platform under its Earth Reentry Program, supported by the Texas Space Commission's Space Exploration and Research Fund. Aims to bring the full cycle of U.S. semiconductor production — from orbit to onshore — under U.S. control.
• SpaceXflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 June 2025Launch services provider on whose Transporter-14 rideshare mission ForgeStar-1 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 27 June 2025.
• Azores Regional Government (Portugal)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2025Partnership to bring Space Forge's Portuguese facilities online on the island of Santa Maria, establishing the company's first EU office and a satellite return location in mainland Europe — central to high-frequency LEO return operations and broader European expansion.
• Welsh GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2025Welsh Government has supported Space Forge through the SMART Flexible Innovation Support Programme and continues to back the National Microgravity Research Centre, with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning publicly endorsing the company.
• UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)flagshipOthers · 13 March 2025UK space regulator that awarded Space Forge the first UK licence for In-Space Advanced Manufacturing for the ForgeStar-1 mission, after two and a half years of regulatory interaction spanning OFCOM, the ITU, UK Space Agency, Department for Transport, and DSIT.
• Sierra SpaceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2024Memorandum of Understanding signed 5 December 2024 covering collaboration on semiconductor materials, components and related technologies for in-space manufacturing, with input on Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane and future space station manufacturing facility design and operations.
• Voyager SpaceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2024MOU signed October 2024 to integrate the ForgeStar flexible returnable spacecraft with Voyager's orbital infrastructure for in-space research, manufacturing, and biomedical applications. Sets the stage for joint funding applications and next-gen return capability interfaces.
• Northrop Grumman CorporationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2023Collaboration agreement signed September 2023 to explore future space-based semiconductor manufacturing. Northrop Grumman provides business and technical advice, microelectronics training workshops, collaborative design review, and material testing/characterisation, aligned with the UK Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS) of March 2021.
• Southern LaunchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2023Australian launch and re-entry provider. MoU signed April 2023 to explore Satellite Return to the Koonibba Test Range (over 10,000 sq. km, ideal for sun-synchronous orbits), establishing a Southern Hemisphere return site for the ForgeStar platform.
• Australian Space AgencycoreOthers · 19 April 2023Australian government agency endorsing Space Forge's expansion into Australia via the Southern Launch MoU, reinforcing UK-Australia space sector cooperation.
• UK Space Agency (US expansion support)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2023UK Space Agency Deputy CEO Ian Annett publicly backed Space Forge's US and Australian expansion as part of the UK Government's broader space-sector growth strategy.
• Virgin OrbitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 March 2022Launch services agreement signed March 2022 for the first Welsh satellite (ForgeStar-0) to fly from Spaceport Cornwall on the Start Me Up mission. The relationship lapsed after Virgin Orbit's cessation of operations.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Varda Space Industries: US in-space manufacturing startup building autonomous reentry capsules to manufacture pharmaceuticals and advanced materials in microgravity and return them to Earth. Directly comparable to Space Forge on orbital factory + return architecture and pharmaceutical-crystal target market.
• Made In Space (Redwire): Pioneer of in-space manufacturing including the Archinaut and 3D-printing payloads on the ISS. Directly comparable on in-orbit fabrication of advanced materials and structures but focused on station-attached rather than free-flying returnable platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Redwire Corporation: Public space infrastructure company (acquired Made In Space) operating in-space manufacturing and 3D-printing payloads on the ISS. Broad incumbent with overlapping microgravity manufacturing and biotech/crystal-growth offerings but focused on station-attached rather than free-flying platforms.
• Northrop Grumman: US aerospace prime with deep microelectronics, satellite servicing and space-station capabilities. Collaboration partner for Space Forge but a broad incumbent that could insource in-space semiconductor manufacturing given its defence primes positioning.

Emerging players

• Sierra Space: Commercial space station and Dream Chaser spaceplane developer planning in-space manufacturing facilities on its Orbital Reef station. Both partner and potential competitor to Space Forge in the in-space semiconductor and materials manufacturing category.
• Voyager Space: Space infrastructure company building Starlab commercial space station with Airbus. Signed MoU to integrate Space Forge payloads; competing emerging player in in-space research, manufacturing and biomedical applications.
• Intuitive Machines: US lunar lander and orbital services company operating the Zephyr Earth Reentry Program. Strategic partner integrating Space Forge payloads but also building its own returnable orbital infrastructure with Texas Space Commission backing.
• Momentus Space: US in-space transportation and infrastructure provider developing orbital transfer and hosted payload services. Adjacent emerging player in the broader 'microgravity services' category Space Forge targets with ForgeStar rides.
• BioOrbit: UK microgravity pharmaceutical manufacturing startup co-funded under the UKSA £1m ISAM study alongside Space Forge. Adjacent emerging player targeting space-grown pharmaceuticals, a key downstream use case for Space Forge's ForgeStar returnable platform.

Others

• Pragmatic Semiconductor: UK flexible semiconductor manufacturer founded by Space Forge Chair Scott White. Adjacent comparator in next-gen semiconductor substrates and a key UK deep-tech peer for Space Forge's space-grown substrate roadmap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Space_Forge
• Facebookfacebook.com/spaceforge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/space-forge-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/space_forge

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds12 records

Investors28 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Space Forge