Aetherflux Secures $2 Billion in Series B Funding, Soaring to New Heights

Aetherflux: Space Solar Power Startup Seeks $250-$350 Million in Series B Funding

Aetherflux, a space solar power startup founded by Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood, is currently in discussions to secure funding in the range of $250 million to $350 million for its Series B round. This fundraising effort aims to value the company at $2 billion.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Index Ventures is set to lead this investment round. Since its establishment in 2024, Aetherflux has already raised approximately $80 million. However, the company has chosen not to provide any official comments regarding this recent development.

Shifting Focus towards Space Data Centers

In recent months, Aetherflux has redirected its focus by advancing its power-generating technology for space data centers. This strategic move involves reducing the emphasis on transmitting electricity to Earth using lasers, which was the company’s initial vision. Notably, space industry giants like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Starcloud are exploring innovative approaches to distributed computing in space.

During an interview with TechCrunch, Bhatt humorously remarked, “Let the record show we never lifted our pivot foot — it wasn’t a travel.” He further explained, “The light bulb went off about a year ago that, actually, if you wanted to power AI with the technology that we were thinking about, it would be much more advantageous to actually put the chips in space, rather than project the power from space down to a terrestrial data center.”

While Aetherflux intends to continue experimenting with laser power transmission on a satellite bus developed by Apex Space, the company’s inaugural data center satellite is slated for launch in 2027. Bhatt affirmed, “Our goal is to build something that competes with terrestrial economics.”

Despite the ambitious plans, Bhatt acknowledged the challenges ahead, emphasizing that the journey won’t be easy.