Interstellar Technologies Raises 3.1 Billion Yen in Series E Round

Insider Brief

• Interstellar Technologies has successfully raised 3.1 billion yen (~ USD 21 million) in its Series E round with participation from new investors including SBI Group, NTT DOCOMO, and Resona Bank.
• This brings the company’s total funding to around 17 billion yen (~ USD 116 million), including subsidies.
• Interstellar Technologies aims to become Japan’s first vertically integrated rocket and satellite startup. The company is working on developing the ZERO orbital-class launch vehicle and ‘Satellite Communication 3.0’.

Interstellar Technologies Inc., a space infrastructure company in Hokkaido, Japan, has announced it has successfully raised of 3.1 billion yen (~ USD 21 million) in its Series E round with participation from new investors, including SBI Group, NTT DOCOMO, and Resona Bank. This brings the company’s total funding to around 17 billion yen (~ USD 116 million), including subsidies.

Interstellar Technologies aims to become Japan’s first vertically integrated rocket and satellite startup. The company is working on developing the ZERO orbital-class launch vehicle, which has been selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s SBIR Phase 3 program. This program could provide up to 14 billion yen by fiscal year 2027, supporting the progress towards ZERO’s inaugural launch.

Interstellar is also developing ‘Satellite Communication 3.0’. This technology will enable direct connections with ground terminals, such as smartphones, offering high-speed, high-capacity communication comparable to terrestrial networks. The satellite department is leveraging its strengths in owning a rocket company to enter the satellite communication market, competing with ventures like SpaceX’s Starlink.

Joint research with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) began in September 2023. NICT is also an investor in this round. Additionally, in June 2024, Interstellar was entrusted with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ Expanding Wireless Communication Spectrum Research Project.