• Letara

  Participated · Equity · Aug 2026

  Founded in 2020, Letara commercializes hybrid rocket combustion technology originating from work at Hokkaido University by its co-CEOs Shota Hirai and Landon Thomas Kamps. Its hybrid engines use a plastic-based fuel (HTPB) paired with an oxidizer, which the company says is safer to handle than many conventional fuels while maintaining performance. Letara initially focused on miniaturized in-space thrusters but has expanded ambitions to build both satellite thrusters and scalable launch-class hybrid engines. Its in-development product lines include two spacecraft thrusters for satellite propulsion and one hybrid engine designed for launch vehicles and point-to-point logistics. The company raised ¥2.6B ($16M) in a pre-Series A to advance these development efforts, backed by a mix of U.S. and Japanese venture and strategic investors.

• Space Tech Accelerator

  Led · Seed · Jul 2026

  Space Tech Accelerator develops a platform that combines wide-area satellite observation data with information collected on-site to assess the status of palm plantations and visualize supply chains. The company uses a “satellite data × local information” approach and provides applications aimed at local farmers and agricultural cooperatives. Its product roadmap includes continued development of a supply chain visualization platform that fuses remote sensing with ground-level data. The company is expanding operational and implementation capabilities in key producing countries, specifically Indonesia and Malaysia. The recent ¥200 million seed funding from Frontier Innovations is earmarked to strengthen those local business development and implementation systems and to advance the platform. The article did not disclose revenue, users, or prior funding details.

• Space Quarters

  Led · Seed · Oct 2025

  Founded in 2022 out of Tohoku University, Space Quarters is a Japanese deep-tech startup focused on enabling on-site assembly of space infrastructure. Its proprietary electron-beam welding robots can autonomously join modular materials in orbit or on the lunar surface, bypassing the size and cost limitations of launching pre-assembled structures. The company has already completed ground-based proof-of-concept tests and collaborates with major partners such as Sky Perfect JSAT, JAXA, Obayashi Corporation, and IHI Aerospace. With the new capital, Space Quarters plans to grow its engineering team, expand testing facilities, and prepare for demonstration missions scheduled for 2027–2028. These steps aim to position the firm for a commercial service launch that supports sustainable human activities beyond Earth. No revenue or user metrics have been disclosed to date.

• Tenchijin

  Led · Series B · Sep 2025

  Tenchijin merges satellite big data with proprietary AI algorithms to deliver insights that make invisible ground-level risks and value visible. Its core product, the water-utility digital-transformation service “Uchū Suidokyoku,” launched in April 2023 and has already been adopted by numerous municipalities, surpassing 50 cumulative contracts by September 2025. Beyond water infrastructure, the company is extending its technology stack to agriculture and renewable-energy applications and is even developing its own satellites to build an end-to-end data platform. The newly raised funds will be directed toward hiring engineers, enhancing satellite-data analysis and water-resource-monitoring algorithms, expanding domestic and international sales networks, and strengthening its multi-satellite cloud data infrastructure. Branding and market-awareness initiatives are also planned. Headquartered in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district, Tenchijin positions its mission as “optimizing human civilization through space big data.” Including the latest round, its total funding—equity and debt—now stands at roughly ¥1.9 billion.

No current team members are available.