TLDR:
– Helicity Space, a startup specializing in fusion engines for spacecraft, secures backing from Lockheed Martin Ventures
– Lockheed Martin Ventures joins other investors in Helicity Space, including Airbus Ventures and Voyager Space Holdings
Helicity Space, a six-year-old startup focusing on designing fusion engines for spacecraft, has recently announced securing the backing of Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture capital arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation. This investment comes after Helicity Space closed a seed funding round in late 2023, which included other strategic partners such as Airbus Ventures and Voyager Space Holdings. The terms of the investment have not been disclosed, but this partnership will allow Helicity Space to collaborate with Lockheed’s engineers and researchers to further advance in the field of space transportation.
Helicity Space completed a $5 million seed funding round in December, with contributions from investors such as TRE Ventures, E2MC Space, Urania Ventures, and Gaingels. This funding will be utilized by Helicity Space to enhance and develop its range of engines with a focus on nuclear fusion propulsion technology. The company aims to design engines that improve in-space propulsion and power by using short bursts of fusion to propel spacecraft with lower fuel consumption. The co-founders of Helicity Space are Setthivoine You, Marta Calvo, and Stephane Lintner, with backgrounds in plasma physics, chemical engineering, and applied mathematics respectively.
This investment from Lockheed Martin Ventures represents a significant milestone for Helicity Space as it seeks to further establish its presence in the space transportation industry and advance its cutting-edge fusion engine technology.