Space Forge
Component · GB
Reusable orbital manufacturing (ForgeStar) producing semiconductors and alloys in microgravity — defect-free materials unattainable on Earth.
ForgeStar satellite: in-orbit fabrication of semiconductor substrates/superalloys, returned via Pridwen heat shield.
Research mapping
Physical AI / Materials & Critical Components (L3) / Component
Evidence boundary
Original analysis and independent corroboration remain under development. Commercial scale and durable technical advantage remain under review.
What makes it defensible
Only Western startup that has flown a return-capable in-space manufacturing stack: the ForgeStar satellite, the proprietary Pridwen heat shield and Aether re-entry prediction software are all first-party, and all are required to bring manufactured material home.
Position in the stack: Sits at the fabrication-and-return layer rather than the launch layer - it owns the furnace platform, the re-entry vehicle and the landing-prediction software, so the product sold is returned material (semiconductor substrates, superalloys), not a ride to orbit or a hosted payload slot.
Who buys it
Named customers: United Semiconductors (MoU), ESA
Founding team
Joshua Western — Co-founder & CEO — Co-founded Space Forge in 2018 while working at Thales Alenia Space; leads the company from Cardiff.
Andrew Bacon — Co-founder — Co-founded Space Forge in 2018 while working at Thales Alenia Space.
SourceFinancing detail
- Last round
- Series A (£22.6M, Jul 2024)
Investors: NATO Innovation Fund, World Fund, British Business Bank, Type One Ventures
Mapped funds and investors
Direct relationships supported by published evidence.
Reported holdings as-of
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Disclosed investment history
No sourced relationships mapped yet.
Showing up to four relationships in each group. ETF weights describe the fund’s portfolio, not ownership of this company. Private investment history does not establish current ownership.
Evidence & media
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Space Forge selects The Texas A&M University System as US manufacturing base
What this source supports: Master research agreement setting the framework for Space Forge's first U.S. semiconductor-materials manufacturing and processing capability; applies across the Texas A&M System and governs all future joint projects; uses the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute and AggieFab.
What it does not establish: Framework agreement toward a facility, not a built plant; no capex, capacity or timeline disclosed.
Source