Aerospace & space startups in Los Angeles

Peter Beck

HQ'd in Long Beach; NASDAQ:RKLB. Operates the small-lift Electron (69+ launches by mid-2025) and is bringing the reusable medium-lift Neutron to first flight, with Launch Complex 3 completed in 2025. Bought ...

Ian Cinnamon & Maximilian Benassi

LA-HQ'd productized satellite-bus maker; first Aries spacecraft (SN1) has been on orbit 1+ year and won a $46M Space Force contract. Raised a $200M Series C (Apr 2025, Point72/8VC) and a $200M Series D (Sep ...

Karan Kunjur & Neel Kunjur

Ex-SpaceX team building high-power, low-cost 'mega' satellite buses (Mega-class) for MEO/GEO. Opened a 180,000 sq ft Torrance factory and flew its first in-space demo in Feb 2025. Raised a $110M Series B (Fe...

Tim Ellis (fdr), Eric Schmidt (CEO/Chair)

Founded 2015; 3D-prints rockets via its Stargate printers in a 1M+ sq ft Long Beach factory. Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt took a controlling stake and became CEO/Chairman in March 2025, refocusing on the fully...

Elon Musk

Founded 2002; the anchor of LA's space ecosystem and the alma mater of nearly every 'Gundo' founder. Its 1M+ sq ft Hawthorne plant still builds every Falcon 9/Heavy and Dragon. NOTE/HQ-FLAG: corporate HQ off...

Tom Mueller

Founded 2021 by SpaceX employee #1 and Merlin engine architect Tom Mueller; 60,000 sq ft Redondo Beach HQ. Builds in-space transfer vehicles: the Mira OTV (flew Nov 2023 and Jan 2025) and the high-energy Hel...

Will Bruey & Delian Asparouhov

Founded 2021; pioneers in-space (microgravity) pharmaceutical manufacturing, returning drug-crystallization capsules to Earth. Opened a 10,000 sq ft El Segundo pharma lab; completed multiple W-series launch-...

Jed McCaleb

Founded 2021, Long Beach; building commercial space stations. Its Haven-1 (targeting the world's first commercial station, launch ~2027) entered integration in 2025, and the Haven Demo flew and operated its ...

Melanie Stricklan, David Godwin & Thomas Ashman

El Segundo-HQ'd; AI-powered space situational awareness, satellite tracking and space-traffic coordination via a global sensor/telescope network. Holds Space Force contracts (incl. a $25M award). Raised a $4...

Ryan Westerdahl

Founded 2020, Irvine (~200 staff); space domain awareness and satellite-servicing via its DROID spacecraft and Starfire OS. DROID.001/.002 (launched Mar 2025) delivered 40,000+ images; holds a $32.6M STRATFI...