Back in 2016, Forbes dubbed Seattle the “Silicon Valley of Space.” People didn’t bat an eye, they kept their gaze trained on older, more established aerospace hubs like the Bay Area and Cape Canaveral. But the Emerald City kept quietly gaining momentum. Students at world-class research universities built a satellite the size of a Kleenex box. Over 900 aerospace companies planted roots. The accumulation of the best and brightest minds turned Seattle into the undeniable hub for space commercialization and innovation that it is today, and now, all eyes are on Seattle’s space hub.
The region is a humming ecosystem of space innovation, where people earn their degrees, hone their skills at legacy aerospace companies, and spin off to launch their own startups all under the same PNW sun (er—clouds.) For every experienced manufacturer or engineer that leaves a legacy company to start their own firm, there’s a wide network of clients, partners, supply chain relationships, and testing facilities all within their own backyard. Innovation comes easy when your neighbors are best in class.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper is a top contributor to the region’s reputation. They’ve created more than 2,000 specialized roles for advanced satellite operations. And they keep these jobs accessible to Washington’s homegrown talent through internal career programs and a partnership with Lake Washington Institute of Technology. Brian Huseman, Amazon’s Vice President of Public Policy and Community Engagement, says these investments “cement the region as a global center for satellite technology.”
Brian knows Greater Seattle is the perfect mix of talent, research, and partnerships: the trifecta accelerating Project Kuiper’s mission. “The state is projected to manufacture more than 75% of the world’s satellites in the near future,” he said. “This concentration of talent let us rapidly build our Project Kuiper team across our facilities in Redmond, Kirkland, Everett, Bellevue, and Seattle. Washington’s collaborative business environment enabled us to operate in a relatively compact geographic area, which allows ideas to flow seamlessly between design, testing, and manufacturing teams.”
Speed to market also anchors Project Kuiper to Greater Seattle – “the region excels in cloud computing, machine learning, advanced materials, and precision manufacturing. Developing talent and innovating new technologies for Project Kuiper might have taken significantly longer elsewhere.” Brian said.
Local government leaders echo Brian’s sentiment on how new technologies are skyrocketing the region’s space economy. “I’m proud of our city’s role as a leader in the space and satellite industry, with our Space District being home to some of the most visionary companies,” said Redmond Mayor Angela Birney. “They bring innovation, inspiration, and a sense of pride to our community.”
Companies like Amazon, Boeing, and Blue Origin laid the foundation for aerospace advancements. But those household names aren’t the only ones shaking things up. A new generation of startups has entered the scene, and they’re challenging the status quo with new products and methodologies that will change the way humans think about space. Who powers all this groundbreaking work? Over 114,000 employees (which is 31% above the national average for Seattle’s size.) That’s more people than can fit in the Seahawks’ stadium. There’s a reason aerospace employees flock here: companies know they are the industry’s lifeblood, and so they nurture their growth with perks and benefits that’d send stodgy HR offices into a tizzy. It’s a small price to pay in exchange for being the epicenter of redefining what’s possible beyond the Earth’s gravitational pull.
Stoke Space is one of Seattle’s breakout stars, propelling space tech into the future. Their 100% reusable rockets lower the barrier to cost entry – a 20x reduced cost to get into orbit. How do they do it? By ditching test and iteration cycles that feel like they span longer than the Rolling Stones’ career. They build rocket engines, structures, and avionics in mere days, made possible by their test facility’s close proximity to their headquarters. Stoke’s hardware choices are sustainably scaling the aerospace industry, one refly at a time.
With a bold vision for orbital logistics, Starfish Space is leading the charge in affordable satellite servicing. Their Otter model is the pit crew of space, like a highly trained gasman, it refuels satellites and keeps them reliably in orbit. It can also safely dispose of defunct satellites that pose a risk of crashing out.
The region’s startups have already developed an unshakeable bedrock of success. Now, investors are taking notice and betting on their transformative technologies. As legacy and emerging companies continue to refine their processes, venture capitalists hit the sweet spot of a blossoming economy that’s all gas and no brakes.
Fuse is a Bellevue-based venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology companies. Brendan Wales, General Partner, underscores the importance of investing as early as possible into great people. “Bet the founder, win the future. It’s so about the people. It’s about the founder and them recruiting great folks underneath them.”
“Some investors want to wait until things are a slam dunk. The problem with that is that all the investors in the world that are risk averse, that’s also where they go. They pursue that same company and, as a result, it’s really hard to get into those companies.”
Who are the people-forward companies Fuse built early relationships with? Quindar was the first. Their satellite operations software makes for more efficient spacecraft management. Then came Starcloud, the group leveraging solar energy to solve for energy-constrained data centers. Portal followed suit, providing maneuverable satellite propulsion technology using thermal engines powered by the sun. Portal’s addressing what Brendan believes is space’s next big frontier: defense. A big risk with sending anything into space is that you could have an adversary come close to your satellite, knock it off course, or impact its capabilities, he said. Portal is improving satellite bus maneuverability through propulsion technology, making it possible to change orbits without running out of fuel. These are what Brendan describes as the “fighter jets” protecting our nation’s assets.
Actuate Ventures is a Seattle-based studio supporting mission-driven deep-tech and space-tech startups. Chris Le, Managing Partner, divulges what they’re investing in:
“There’s an entire burgeoning market of software-only startups or relatively low capital expenditure startups that are breaking in, leveraging the fact that we [Seattle] have decades and decades of really mature software experience that rivals and exceeds that of the Bay Area in many respects.” he said.
“What I’m seeing today, and my hypothesis for the future,” Chris said, “is you have this hockey stick, this growth that goes exponential and marries into what is traditionally a step function economy. The writing is on the wall that all of this value is about to be unlocked. These are not trivial products. These are not GPT wrappers that will not exist in a year. They’re here to change the world.”
Actuate Ventures backed Charter Space as a software-only investment, and Chris believes they’re on the verge of unlocking exponential, hockey-stick growth. What makes Charter Space and other software-forward companies stand out? He says they’re taking the best lessons from SaaS that have been around since the dot com era and giving them a modern twist. Their power is being one of the few players applying this concept to the space industry.
Actuate Ventures isn’t gatekeeping what’s lucrative. In fact, they’re throwing open the doors and inviting more people to join their growing support network within the VC space. “I want to decrease the barrier of entry, and I want to make sure that other funders are not scared off about this space which has incredible value to give to the world and, of course, their portfolio and pocketbooks. I’m not going to shy away from that.” Chris said.
The best way for the space industry-curious to get involved? Seattle Space Week is a great place to start. It’s a celebration of an industry that contains so much promise and excitement, and it’s all just within reach. It’s up to you to grab it.
