Germany’s Space Startups Are Ready For Launch

Germany has never been short of engineering ambition, but getting things into space was usually a bit more complicated. It often involved going through government agencies and painfully slow procurement cycles. But things are changing fast and the industry has certainly taken off, no pun intended.

Today, German aerospace startups are building rockets, spacecraft and satellites – along with the software to make sure they don’t crash into each other. And they’re making a serious name for themselves through extensive private backing and technological breakthroughs.

A Different Kind Of Space Race: How Germany Has Transformed The Space Landscape

From about 2018, the industry began to see a shift after a cluster of well-funded, technically ambitious startups began to crop up across Munich, Augsburg and Braunschweig. Most of them have roots in the Technical University of Munich or the Fraunhofer network, resulting in a pipeline of engineering talent.

The NATO Innovation Fund also made the decision to back one of these companies, Isar Aerospace, in a Series C which was a particularly telling signal. Defence and security actors were now actively treating startups as strategic partners rather than just interesting experiments.

Revenue in the aerospace sector grew to €52 billion in 2024, up from €46 billion a year before, with employment jumping from 115,000 to 120,000 – and still growing.

Meet The Startups Writing Their Place In The Cosmos

Cargo aircraft destined for the ISS, satellites tracking wildfires from orbit, rocket launches … it sounds like a NASA press release, but it’s actually a clear picture of what Germany’s aerospace startup scene looks like right now. And each startup is tackling a different piece of the new space puzzle.

1. Isar Aerospace

Isar Aerospace is a Munich-based company that has been building Spectrum, a small launch vehicle capable of carrying up to 1,000kg to low Earth orbit. They made their first test flight in March 2025 and has become one of the most talked-about name in the German space startup scene.

Since the startup’s founding in 2018, they have raised over €400 million. That included a €65 million Series C extension in mid-2024 that drew in the NATO Innovation Fund.

In July last year, Isar signed a €150 million convertible-bond agreement with Eldridge Industries to fund expanded launch capabilities and production facilities near Munich.

2. The Exploration Company

The Exploration Company is. a Franco-German startup on a mission to build Europe’s first reusable cargo spacecraft. Nyx, its flagship vehicle, is designed to deliver cargo to low Earth orbit, the International Space Station and, eventually, the moon.

In May 2024, they were selected to study a cargo transport mission to and from the ISS, slated for 2028 as Nyx’s inaugural voyage. The company raised $160 million in a Series B round, bringing total funding to nearly $230 million since its founding in 2021.

To date, they have secured contracts worth $770 million, with 90% coming from private space station providers like Starlab and Axiom Space.

3. HyImpulse Technologies

Based in Neuenstadt am Kocher, HyImpulse builds hybrid rocket engines that blend solid and liquid propellant, which cuts component count by around 50% compared to traditional designs. In 2024, the startup reached a historic milestone with the successful test flight of its SR75 suborbital rocket.

The first commercial customer launches on the SR75 are planned for later this year.

Late last year, HyImpulse raised €45 million, comprising a €15 million Series A equity round and €30 million in public financing, bringing total funding to approximately €74 million.

4. OKAPI Orbits

Space is getting fairly crowded which means satellites run the risk of running into each other. OKAPI Orbits is a Braunschweig-based startup using AI-driven space traffic management tools to help satellite operators predict and avoid collisions throughout a mission’s lifespan.

The company was born out of the Technical University of Braunschweig, successfully turning academic simulations into a commercial force in space traffic management just as the satellite congestion problem became too prominent to ignore.

In April 2025, OKAPI Orbits completed a €13 million seed round, bringing its total funding to over $20 million.

5. constellr

constellr is a spin-off from the Fraunhofer applied research group and builds high-precision thermal imaging satellites designed to track land surface temperature with extraordinary accuracy.

In January 2025, its first two HiVE satellites launched on a Falcon 9 and a year later in early 2026, they raised €37 million in a Series A round led by Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar, bringing total funding to €75 million.

6. OroraTech

Climate change pushes wildfire risk into new regions every year. OroraTech has built a platform which can detect and simulate fire behaviour 24/7 from anywhere on the planet.

The company already has ten satellites in orbit to deliver the world’s most persistent thermal data stream, enabling the creation of a wildfire digital twin of the Earth. It has become a critical tool for governments and insurers alike.

In May 2025, OroraTech extended its Series B round to €37 million, led by BNP Paribas Solar Impulse Venture Fund.