By June, space sector companies globally raised $11.3 billion in venture capital investment across 244 deals, a figure that already exceeds the $10.1 billion invested in 433 deals throughout all of last year. The US continues to dominate, representing more than half of global investment, but European companies saw their share rise to more than 20%, reaching a record value of $2.4 billion in the first half, representing 21.1% of total investment globally. This European growth is based on large financing rounds, such as the Finnish company ICEYE, which raised more than one billion euros in June, and on greater sovereign demand from European governments.
The International Space Summit takes place from September 9 to 10 at the Grand Palais in Paris, organized by President Emmanuel Macron, bringing together delegations from more than 100 countries, including the Portuguese Space Agency. However, several American companies, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, cancelled their participation following pressure from the White House to boycott the event, a sign of the times and the geopolitical tension between blocs.
Financing for growth-stage companies represented 49.8% of total value in the first half, while late-stage venture capital represented 37.6%, making 87.4% combined. Conversely, early-stage venture capital fell from 22.2% in 2024 to 11.1%. The median deal value increased from $7 million last year to $14.5 million in the first half, while the average value rose from $37.8 million to $70.5 million.
In terms of sectors, commercial space launches, satellites, geoespatial intelligence, and space infrastructure led investments. The ground segment continued to be the largest in terms of value, raising $6.3 billion, while the orbital segment represented 39.7% of total value, with more than half of all deals. The exploration segment also grew to 4.7%, driven mainly by the $500 million round of Vast Space, a company dedicated to developing next-generation space stations.
