Earthrise Ventures

What Earthrise Ventures does

Earthrise Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 and headquartered in New York, specializing in space technology and deep tech investments. The firm backs founders building transformative businesses in orbital infrastructure, space-based solar power, propulsion systems, advanced manufacturing, robotics, defense technology, and AI applications. Its portfolio of 35+ companies includes notable names such as SpaceX (which went public), Varda Space Industries, Vast Space, Overview Energy, Impulse Space, K2 Space, Hadrian, and Machina Labs, with two prior portfolio exits through acquisition (Datum and Duro).

The firm's business model is that of a traditional venture capital investor: it deploys capital into early-stage startups in exchange for equity, provides strategic guidance and ecosystem support, and generates returns through exits—whether via IPO, acquisition, or secondary sales. Its go-to-market relies on professional networks, industry conferences, and direct outreach to source deals in the space and deep tech sectors. Earthrise Ventures has participated in rounds ranging from $20M seed financings (Overview Energy, December 2025) to $500M Series A rounds (Vast Space, March 2026), often co-investing alongside institutional and strategic backers like IQT, Qatar Investment Authority, Mitsui, MUFG, Nikon, Stellar Ventures, and Engine Ventures.

The firm is privately held with 1-10 employees and does not disclose fund size, AUM, management fees, or financial performance. Its customer base consists of portfolio startups seeking capital and strategic support, while its investors (LPs) are undisclosed. The competitive positioning is narrow but deep: rather than competing as a generalist VC, Earthrise has carved a vertical specialization in the space economy and adjacent deep tech sectors, betting on the long-term secular trend of space-enabled industries.

Name

Earthrise Ventures

Legal name

Earthrise Ventures

Website

https://earthrise.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Earthrise Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2021 and based in New York, investing in space technology and deep tech startups across orbital infrastructure, propulsion, advanced manufacturing, and space-based energy. Its 35+ company portfolio includes SpaceX, Vast Space, and Varda Space Industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Deep tech funding
• Space technology investment
• Early-stage venture capital
• Frontier technology investment

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Core offering

Earthrise Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that provides equity capital, strategic guidance, and operational support to founders building companies in space technology, orbital infrastructure, space-based solar power, propulsion systems, advanced manufacturing, and other deep technology verticals. The firm manages a diversified portfolio of more than 35 companies and participates in funding rounds ranging from seed to growth stages, including co-investments in rounds such as Vast's $500 million Series A and Overview Energy's $20 million seed.

Product overview

Earthrise Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in transformative space and deep technology companies. The firm manages a diversified portfolio spanning orbital infrastructure, space-based solar power, advanced manufacturing, propulsion systems, robotics, and AI technologies. The portfolio includes notable space station developers (Vast Space), space-based solar power companies (Overview Energy), launch providers (SpaceX, Impulse Space), and various deep tech startups across manufacturing, robotics, and energy sectors. Earthrise Ventures provides capital and strategic support to founders building businesses in the emerging space economy and adjacent deep technology verticals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Portfolio Management Earthrise Ventures manages a diversified portfolio of early-to-growth stage space and deep technology companies, providing equity capital, strategic guidance, and operational support to founders building transformative businesses in orbital infrastructure, space-based solar power, propulsion systems, and advanced manufacturing.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DCVC: DCVC (Data Collective) invests in deep tech at the intersection of compute, materials, and engineering, with overlap in Hadrian, Machina Labs, and similar Earthrise portfolio categories.
• Lux Capital: Lux Capital is a deep tech and frontier technology venture firm with material exposure to space, advanced manufacturing, and energy. It is the most established analog to Earthrise's sector-specialist strategy.
• Founders Fund: Founders Fund has historically been a major allocator into SpaceX and other frontier tech. Comparable to Earthrise in its willingness to back deep tech and capital-intensive frontier companies at early stages.
• Space Capital: Space Capital is a sector-focused venture firm investing across the space economy stack, with direct thematic overlap to Earthrise's portfolio (e.g., co-invested in Vast's $500M round). It is the closest comparable in mandate and stage.
• Khosla Ventures: Khosla Ventures is a deep tech and frontier technology investor with significant exposure to space, climate, and advanced manufacturing—closely aligned with Earthrise's portfolio composition.
• Stellar Ventures: Stellar Ventures is a space-focused seed and early-stage venture firm co-investing in rounds like Vast alongside Earthrise. Highly comparable in thesis focus and stage orientation.
• In-Q-Tel: In-Q-Tel is a strategic investor focused on national security and space technology, often co-investing in space and defense tech rounds (e.g., Vast). Its mission and portfolio overlap closely with Earthrise's defense space verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): a16z operates a broad, multi-stage venture platform with an active American Dynamism practice covering space, defense, and advanced manufacturing. A larger incumbent whose space focus overlaps with Earthrise.

Emerging players

• 1517 Fund: 1517 Fund is an early-stage firm backing young founders building frontier technology outside traditional tech hubs. Comparable in its contrarian, deep tech early-stage posture.
• Lowercarbon Capital: Lowercarbon Capital invests in climate and energy technologies, including space-based solar power (co-invested in Overview Energy alongside Earthrise). Comparable in frontier energy thesis and co-investment history.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments12 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Earthrise Ventures