Dark
Dark is a French space defense company developing the Interceptor, an air-launched autonomous spacecraft that captures and deorbits threats and debris in Low Earth Orbit, serving French government defense and space agencies (CNES, AID).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Dark does
Dark is a French space defense company headquartered in Paris that develops the Interceptor, an air-launched spacecraft platform designed to intercept, capture, and deorbit objects in Low Earth Orbit. The Interceptor is dropped from a modified commercial aircraft, maneuvers autonomously to its target using proprietary propulsion, and uses a robotic module with multiple arms to grab and decelerate space objects before controlled re-entry into the South Pacific Ocean satellite graveyard. The company's stated response window is under 24 hours from threat detection, an order-of-magnitude faster than ground-launched alternatives. Supporting subsystems include the KHARON family of variable-thrust orbital engines using methalox and green propellants (ethane and nitrous oxide), the RISE in-house avionics operating system, the Salazar mission simulation framework, and the HADES mission program encompassing 3D-printed monolithic thrusters and titanium propellant tanks manufactured via laser powder bed fusion.
Dark operates as a B2B defense contractor selling development contracts and orbital services to government customers, primarily the French Space Agency (CNES) and the French Defense Innovation Agency (AID). Revenue derives from professional-services-style development contracts, with a stated longer-term ambition of subscription-style recurring revenue from on-demand emergency response services and a platformization model covering debris removal, payload delivery, and hypersonic experimentation. The company is pre-flight-test, with first orbital demonstration targeted for 2026 and first full test flight planned for 2027. It has raised $11 million in early-stage funding across two seed rounds (2021 and April 2024), is led by co-founders Clyde Laheyne (CEO) and Guillaume Orvain (CTO), both former missile engineers at MBDA and Thales, and has expanded to approximately 40 employees as of April 2025 across Paris headquarters, a Bordeaux-Mérignac operations facility, and a network of European technical partners including ONERA, SPHERICAL, and MMB VOLUM-e.
Dark firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dark
- Legal name
- DARK SAS
- Website
- https://dark-space.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dark is a French space defense company developing the Interceptor, an air-launched autonomous spacecraft that captures and deorbits threats and debris in Low Earth Orbit, serving French government defense and space agencies (CNES, AID).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dark industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space Defense Platforms
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Air Defense Missiles & Interceptors (IMABAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI), Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal) (IMABACAM)
Keywords
Where Dark is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Dark business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government Defense Contracts: Dark secures development contracts with French government agencies (CNES, AID) for orbital defense technology demonstration and simulation studies. These contracts fund Interceptor platform development and new propulsion advancements. Contracts are directed toward emergency debris removal services and future initiatives.
- Space Defense Platform Services: Interceptor platform designed for on-demand emergency response to orbital threats. Revenue derived from providing space defense capabilities to government customers requiring rapid orbital intervention.
- Platformization Model: Business model based on platformization to address multiple markets including debris removal, payload delivery, and hypersonic experiments at competitive price points.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Dark product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dark develops the Interceptor, an air-launched spacecraft dropped from modified commercial aircraft that autonomously navigates to objects in Low Earth Orbit, captures them with a robotic multi-arm module, and performs controlled deorbit into the South Pacific graveyard. The company supplies this orbital defense and emergency debris removal capability primarily to government defense and space agencies through development and demonstration contracts. Supporting the Interceptor are the in-house RISE operating system, the KHARON variable-thrust engine family, green-propellant feed systems, and the Salazar simulation framework.
Product overview
Dark offers the Interceptor as its flagship product — an air-launched spacecraft platform for space defense and orbital security. The Interceptor is designed to be dropped from modified commercial aircraft, navigate to targets in Low Earth Orbit, and capture/deorbit threats. Supporting the core Interceptor platform are mission-specific subsystems including the HADES mission program (with SPHERICAL-built PCDU), the Salazar simulation framework for mission planning, RISE proprietary operating system for onboard computing, and the KHARON family of variable-thrust orbital engines and green propellant feed systems. The company also manufactures 3D printed titanium components for its propulsion systems. Dark operates as a defense contractor with government contracts from French Space Agency (CNES) and Defence Innovation Agency (AID).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Interceptor: Dark's flagship air-launched spacecraft designed to intercept, capture, and safely deorbit objects in Low Earth Orbit. The vehicle is dropped from modified commercial aircraft and uses a robotic module with multiple arms to grab and decelerate space objects before controlled descent into the South Pacific Ocean.
- HADES
- RISE
- KHARON
- Salazar
Products and services
- Interceptor
Quantifiable outcome
- Interceptor can respond to orbital threat within 24 hours of detection
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Dark
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dark technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature10 records
Dark partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- SPHERICALmajorPartnership to deliver Power Conditioning and Distribution Unit (PCDU) for the HADES mission part of the Interceptor program. Built on European supply chain, reinforcing commitment to industrial sovereignty and operational resilience.
- ONERA (French Aerospace Lab)coreDynamic fluid tests at ONERA Mascotte facility to characterize orbital propellant behavior under mission-representative conditions. Tests focus on feed system behavior, two-phase flow, mass flow stability, and valve compatibility for HADES mission.
- ONERAcoreTechnical partnership on high-pressure rocket engine cooling systems. Testing over 16 configurations combining four propellant types and four cooling channel typologies on ONERA's Mascotte test bench. Results shared between both parties for mutual benefit.
- AID (Agence Innovation Défense)coreFrench Defense Innovation Agency selected Dark's Salazar simulation for a concept study to simulate interception of dangerous orbital objects. Study evaluates potential for post-2030 LEO operations, testing interception scenarios with fictional targets equipped with evasion systems.
- CNEScoreSecond contract with CNES strengthening collaboration on high-pressure engine development. CNES to use combustion chamber test results from Dark and receive architectural data for full exploitation. Part of Interceptor emergency debris removal system development.
- Bordeaux AirportmajorPartnership to establish 'Site B' facility at Mérignac airport dedicated to R&D and operations for space debris removal. Expected to generate approximately 500 jobs.
- CNES (French Space Agency)coreAwarded Dark a contract for the world's first private emergency interception simulation. Deep collaboration includes multiple contracts for Interceptor platform development, high-pressure engine development, and regulatory framework development for airborne and ground operations.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Dark competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- D-Orbit: Italian in-orbit transportation and satellite servicing company operating the ION Satellite Carrier. Comparable as a European-headquartered in-orbit services company, though D-Orbit is more focused on payload hosting and last-mile delivery than Dark's defense-and-debris remit.
- Astroscale: Japan-headquartered commercial debris removal and satellite servicing company with active ELSA-d and ELSA-M programs. Directly comparable on debris-removal mission; broader in geographic markets and at more mature flight readiness than Dark.
- Anduril Industries: US defense-tech prime building autonomous space and air systems, including counter-UAS and on-orbit capabilities. Comparable as a venture-backed European/US-aligned defense challenger, with substantially more capital and a broader product portfolio than Dark.
- ClearSpace: Swiss-based active debris removal startup building spacecraft to capture and deorbit space junk, with ESA contract heritage. Closely comparable to Dark on mission profile (orbital capture and de-orbit), though Dark additionally markets a kinetic defense variant.
Emerging players
- Turion Space: US startup building spacecraft for orbital debris removal and satellite servicing, targeting a similar rapid-response on-orbit mission profile. Comparable as an emerging, well-funded startup competitor in the same debris-removal/servicing niche.
- Momentus: US in-orbit transportation startup developing orbital transfer vehicles. Comparable as an emerging in-orbit services company at a similar growth stage and capital profile, though focused on payload transport rather than debris removal or defense.
- LeoLabs: US-based space domain awareness company providing radar-based tracking of objects in LEO, enabling debris collision avoidance and threat detection. Comparable as an enabling capability that complements Dark's interceptor mission; shares the orbital security customer base.
Others
- ExoAnalytic Solutions: US space domain awareness provider using optical sensors to track objects in deep space, supporting missile defense and space surveillance. Comparable as a complement to Dark's interceptor — its tracking layer enables the threat detection that justifies Dark's response.
Broad incumbents
- Northrop Grumman: Operates the Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) and Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) for in-orbit satellite servicing, and is a major US space-defense prime. Comparable as an incumbent provider of on-orbit servicing and space domain capabilities; operates at vastly larger scale than Dark.
- Lockheed Martin: Major US defense prime with deep space and missile defense portfolios, including strategic missile warning and counter-space capabilities. Comparable as a large incumbent in defense aerospace that Dark would compete against for allied space-defense procurement.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dark social profiles
Digital presenceDark financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dark leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Dark funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
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Dark 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 Dark
What does Dark do?
Dark develops the Interceptor, an air-launched spacecraft dropped from modified commercial aircraft that autonomously navigates to objects in Low Earth Orbit, captures them with a robotic multi-arm module, and performs controlled deorbit into the South Pacific graveyard. The company supplies this orbital defense and emergency debris removal capability primarily to government defense and space agencies through development and demonstration contracts. Supporting the Interceptor are the in-house RISE operating system, the KHARON variable-thrust engine family, green-propellant feed systems, and the Salazar simulation framework.
Is Dark a public or private company?
Dark is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Dark founded?
Dark was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dark based?
Dark is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Dark make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Defense Contracts are the primary driver. The others are space Defense Platform Services and platformization Model.
Who are Dark's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are D-Orbit, Astroscale, Anduril Industries and ClearSpace. Emerging players are Turion Space, Momentus and LeoLabs. ExoAnalytic Solutions is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.
Does Dark have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dark.
What industry is Dark in?
Dark's product category is Space Defense Platforms. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAHAD, Air Defense Missiles & Interceptors, with a secondary code of IMABACAI, Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software. Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.