INTERSTELLAR LAB
Interstellar Lab is a US-French private company, founded in 2018, that builds AI-powered BioPod biospheric systems for autonomous plant cultivation on Earth and in space, serving space agencies (NASA, ESA), private space-station operators, and sustainability-focused enterprises such as L'Oreal.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersDover, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What INTERSTELLAR LAB does
Interstellar Lab is a US-French private company founded in 2018 by Barbara Belvisi that develops AI-driven biospheric systems for autonomous plant cultivation, branded as BioPods. Its product suite includes the core BioPod module, the ONEARTH integration layer for terrestrial greenhouses, the NASA-validated INSPACE system for long-duration space missions, and the Bioquark compact growth chamber developed for crewed spaceflight. The platform uses AI to autonomously regulate six environmental variables — temperature, humidity, atmosphere, light, irrigation, and nutrients — across diverse plant species with minimal human intervention, and the company reports 99% lower water consumption compared to traditional farming.
The company targets three primary customer segments: space agencies and private space-station operators needing life-support and food production systems for Moon and Mars missions; large enterprises with sustainability mandates (for example, L'Oreal for plant-based ingredient sourcing); and research institutions. Distribution is direct enterprise sales, supplemented by participation in space industry events such as the Space Symposium, with marketing concentrated in earned media (Wired, Bloomberg, Netflix, Fortune, NASA, ESA coverage).
Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of BioPods and related systems, with licensing/royalty arrangements for enterprise sustainability partnerships. The company is headquartered in Dover/Merritt Island, Florida, with an additional Florida office and a Paris presence, and has raised approximately $12 million in total funding as stated on its website (including a $5 million seed round in March 2022 from investors including 7percent Ventures, Bpifrance, DVx Ventures, Kima Ventures, Starburst Accelerator, and others). The company has 42 team members and is actively hiring, with a planned plant-growth-chamber launch into low Earth orbit targeted for 2026.
INTERSTELLAR LAB firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- INTERSTELLAR LAB
- Legal name
- Interstellar Lab
- Website
- https://interstellarlab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Interstellar Lab is a US-French private company, founded in 2018, that builds AI-powered BioPod biospheric systems for autonomous plant cultivation on Earth and in space, serving space agencies (NASA, ESA), private space-station operators, and sustainability-focused enterprises such as L'Oreal.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
INTERSTELLAR LAB industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Controlled Environment Agriculture Systems
- NAICS
- Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- CEA Monitoring, Sensors & Automation Software (SCADA, IoT, Climate/Recipe Control) (AFAAAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hydroponic & Aeroponic Growing Systems (NFT, DWC, Ebb/Flow, Misting) (AFAAAHAD), International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK), Agricultural Robotics Integration, Retrofit & Automation Services (Kit installs, integration, maintenance) (AFAAAGAJ)
Keywords
Where INTERSTELLAR LAB is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dover
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
INTERSTELLAR LAB business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Space Agriculture Systems: Revenue from selling and deploying space-grade plant cultivation systems to space agencies (NASA) and private space companies for long-duration space missions, including life support integration
- Earth-based Agricultural Technology: Revenue from deploying AI-powered BioPods and vertical farming systems to enterprise customers on Earth, such as cosmetics and consumer goods companies
- Enterprise Sustainability Partnerships: Licensing or supplying BioPod technology to large enterprises like L'Oreal for achieving sustainability and environmental goals, including bio-based ingredient sourcing
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
INTERSTELLAR LAB product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Interstellar Lab develops and manufactures AI-powered biospheric systems, branded as BioPods, that autonomously cultivate plants on Earth and in space. The platform combines AI, hardware, and scientific expertise to control temperature, humidity, atmosphere, light, irrigation, and nutrients for any plant species. Specialized variants include ONEARTH (terrestrial greenhouse automation) and INSPACE (NASA-validated space-grade food production).
Product overview
Interstellar Lab develops an integrated platform of AI-powered biospheric systems for autonomous plant cultivation across Earth and space environments. The core offering is BioPods, intelligent growing chambers supplemented by two specialized modules: ONEARTH for terrestrial greenhouse automation and INSPACE for NASA-certified space mission applications. A dedicated sub-product called Bioquark provides compact growth chambers specifically designed for crewed space missions. The platform uses AI to autonomously control environmental parameters including temperature, humidity, atmosphere, light, irrigation, and nutrients to enable plant growth with minimal human intervention.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BioPods: AI-powered biospheric modules for autonomous plant cultivation designed for sustainable living on Earth and in space.
- Bioquark
- ONEARTH
- INSPACE
Products and services
- BioPods AI-powered biospheric pods for autonomous plant cultivation on Earth and in space, designed to create optimized growing conditions for various plant species with minimal human intervention. Used by enterprise customers such as L'Oreal and validated by NASA for space missions.
- ONEARTH Platform module that integrates with various greenhouse systems to enable automation of plant cultivation operations for terrestrial applications. Targets enterprise customers seeking sustainable farming solutions.
- INSPACE Space-focused module recognized by NASA as the best plant production system for long-term manned missions during the Deep Space Food Challenge. Features autonomous greenhouses and phytotrons for space mission food production.
- Bioquark Compact plant growth chamber designed for crewed space missions, developed to test and demonstrate biospheric conditions in space environments including vacuum, microgravity, and radiation. Used for growing chili peppers, sprouts, and other plants in space.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% less water usage compared to traditional farming
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use INTERSTELLAR LAB
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
INTERSTELLAR LAB technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
INTERSTELLAR LAB partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- ENGINEAI (also referred to as Interstellor)flagshipStrategic partnership to launch China's first Humanoid Robot Astronaut Exploration Program, combining ENGINEAI's motion control and embodied intelligence expertise with Interstellar's aerospace engineering experience to adapt humanoid robots for space environments including vacuum, microgravity, extreme temperatures, and radiation.
- SoliquidcoreInterstellar Lab partnered with French startup Soliquid to develop BioPod habitats for sustainable living on Earth and in space, including Mars. The collaboration aimed to accelerate construction and industrialization of modules using Soliquid's 3D printing technology, with the first BioPod expected to be unveiled in Paris.
- NASAcoreNASA validated Interstellar Lab's INSPACE solution as the best plant production system for long-term manned missions during the Deep Space Food Challenge. The company developed its self-sustaining food system using autonomous greenhouses and phytotrons, receiving the $750,000 grand prize.
- ESAcoreEuropean Space Agency partnership as evidenced by ESA logo displayed on company website alongside NASA, indicating ongoing collaboration on space agriculture and life support systems.
- Oxford UniversityminorAcademic partnership indicated by Oxford logo on company website, suggesting collaboration on research and development of biospheric systems.
- IPSIMminorResearch partnership indicated by IPSIM logo on company website, suggesting collaboration on plant science and agricultural research.
- L'OrealcoreL'Oreal integrated Interstellar Lab's AI-powered BioPods into their sustainability strategy, using vertical farms that consume 99% less water than traditional farming to support L'Oreal's environmental targets including sourcing 95% of ingredients from plants, minerals and recycled materials.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
INTERSTELLAR LAB competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Infarm: Modular in-store vertical farming company serving grocery and enterprise customers. Comparable modular hardware-plus-software approach to BioPods and similar enterprise sustainability buyer segments.
- Plenty: Vertical farming operator using AI-driven indoor plant cultivation. Comparable to Interstellar Lab's ONEARTH and Earth-side BioPod deployments targeting enterprise and retail customers with controlled environment agriculture.
- Bowery Farming: Indoor vertical farming company using proprietary automation and AI to control growing conditions. Directly comparable to Interstellar Lab's CEA automation stack and Earth-side sustainability value proposition.
- AeroFarms: Indoor vertical farming company leveraging controlled environment agriculture and data analytics to optimize plant growth. Overlaps with Interstellar Lab on AI-powered environmental control and resource efficiency messaging.
- Crop One Holdings: Operator of large-scale vertical farms (e.g., Emirates Flight Catering facility) with strong controlled-environment engineering. Directly comparable on large-scale CEA deployment for enterprise customers.
- Gotham Greens: Indoor agriculture operator combining greenhouses and vertical farms with data-driven growing systems. Comparable on the Earth-side controlled environment agriculture offering to enterprise and retail buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Redwire Corporation: Public space technology company with commercial space infrastructure including plant biology and in-space manufacturing. Most comparable space-focused peer given Redwire's NASA heritage and space-grade hardware pedigree.
- Sierra Space: Commercial space company developing the LIFE habitat (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) for space stations, including plant growth for crewed missions. Directly comparable on the NASA/private space station life-support opportunity.
- Priva: Dutch horticulture automation and climate/process control vendor with deep CEA software heritage. Comparable automation stack for greenhouses and overlap with ONEARTH integration use case.
Emerging players
- Nanoracks (Voyager Space): Space services company (now part of Voyager Space) focused on commercial ISS utilization including in-space biotech and agriculture. Adjacent peer for in-orbit plant growth experimentation and space station customer relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
INTERSTELLAR LAB social profiles
Digital presenceINTERSTELLAR LAB financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
INTERSTELLAR LAB leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
INTERSTELLAR LAB funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors15 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
INTERSTELLAR LAB M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about INTERSTELLAR LAB
What does INTERSTELLAR LAB do?
Interstellar Lab develops and manufactures AI-powered biospheric systems, branded as BioPods, that autonomously cultivate plants on Earth and in space. The platform combines AI, hardware, and scientific expertise to control temperature, humidity, atmosphere, light, irrigation, and nutrients for any plant species. Specialized variants include ONEARTH (terrestrial greenhouse automation) and INSPACE (NASA-validated space-grade food production).
Is INTERSTELLAR LAB a public or private company?
INTERSTELLAR LAB is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was INTERSTELLAR LAB founded?
INTERSTELLAR LAB was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is INTERSTELLAR LAB based?
INTERSTELLAR LAB is headquartered in Dover, United States, in the North America region.
How does INTERSTELLAR LAB make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Space Agriculture Systems are the primary driver. The others are earth-based Agricultural Technology and enterprise Sustainability Partnerships.
Who are INTERSTELLAR LAB's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Infarm, Plenty, Bowery Farming, AeroFarms, Crop One Holdings and Gotham Greens. Broad incumbents are Redwire Corporation, Sierra Space and Priva. Nanoracks (Voyager Space) is listed as an emerging player.
Does INTERSTELLAR LAB have an API?
No public API is recorded for INTERSTELLAR LAB.
What industry is INTERSTELLAR LAB in?
INTERSTELLAR LAB's product category is Controlled Environment Agriculture Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAAHAG, CEA Monitoring, Sensors & Automation Software (SCADA, IoT, Climate/Recipe Control), with a secondary code of AFAAAHAD, Hydroponic & Aeroponic Growing Systems (NFT, DWC, Ebb/Flow, Misting). Its NAICS code is 334512 and its SIC code is 3823.