• Aetherflux raised $50 million in a Series A round, bringing its total funding to $60 million, including Bhatt’s $10 million investment.
  • Aetherflux is using Apex Space’s Aries satellite bus to build its first space-based solar power system.

Space solar startup founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, Aetherflux has raised $50 million in a Series A round. The funding will support the launch of its first low Earth orbit (LEO) demonstration in 2026. This brings Aetherflux’s total funding to $60 million, including Bhatt’s personal $10 million investment.

The San Carlos-based startup aims to develop a constellation of satellites capable of harvesting solar energy and transmitting it to Earth using lasers. The company’s first test mission will focus on proving the feasibility of converting satellite-generated power into laser energy and directing it to specialized ground stations.

Aetherflux’s satellites will be built using Apex Space’s Aries satellite bus, which provides essential power, propulsion, and communication systems. The startup’s engineers are currently developing the payload that will convert the energy into a laser beam for transmission.

To receive the beamed energy, Aetherflux is constructing ground stations equipped with photovoltaic arrays to store the converted energy.

The company is exploring military sites for its first station due to controlled airspace advantages. Future plans include developing small, portable ground stations to provide electricity to remote locations.

Aetherflux’s mission aligns with previous space solar efforts, such as Caltech’s 2023 demonstration of wireless power transfer using microwaves. However, Bhatt envisions a scalable, commercial system that extends beyond academic research.

The funding round was led by Index Ventures and Interlagos, with participation from Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and even actor Jared Leto.

Additionally, Aetherflux recently secured funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop space-based solar power for military applications.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah