Aetherflux Plans $250–$350 Million Series B Funding to Expand Space Data Centers

Aetherflux, a space solar power startup founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt in 2024, is reportedly negotiating a Series B funding round of $250 million to $350 million, which would value the company at $2 billion. Index Ventures is said to be leading the investment, following Aetherflux’s previous fundraising of around $80 million. Recently, the company has shifted its strategy from focusing on transmitting electricity to Earth via lasers to developing space-based data centers designed to power AI technologies. Bhatt explained that placing computing chips in orbit offers more advantages than projecting power down to terrestrial data centers. While the company continues to experiment with laser power transmission on a satellite bus built by Apex Space, its first operational data center satellite is scheduled for launch in 2027. The startup aims to match or compete with terrestrial economic models despite the technical and logistical challenges involved. This pivot places Aetherflux among other space tech companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Starcloud, that are exploring distributed computing solutions in orbit.