Space Forge secures $30 million to launch ForgeStar satellites for microgravity manufacturing

UK start-up Space Forge has closed a £22.6 million (about $30 million) Series A round—the largest ever for a British space-technology company. The NATO Innovation Fund led the raise, joined by World Fund, the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, and the British Business Bank’s Regional Angels Programme.

Space Forge leverages the unique environment of space—microgravity, a vacuum, and extreme temperature swings—to produce materials that cannot be fabricated on Earth. These space-manufactured materials hold promise for advancing sectors such as semiconductors, quantum computing, clean energy, and defence technologies.

Independent research indicates that materials created in orbit could reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 75 percent and lower energy consumption by as much as 60 percent in critical infrastructure applications. These efficiencies have the potential to enhance climate resilience and support global sustainability efforts.

The capital will accelerate work on ForgeStar-2, a next-generation, reusable manufacturing satellite, and finance the inaugural ForgeStar-1 in-orbit demonstration slated for 2025. Together, these missions aim to validate a scalable, returnable platform for producing high-performance materials in space.

In the United States, Space Forge Inc. is focusing on building an integrated, end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing capability under the CHIPS and Science Act. Company president Michelle Flemming highlights the goal of bolstering domestic supply chain resilience and reducing dependence on Earth-bound production systems.