The Venture Codex

Participated · Convertible Note · Feb 2023

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.