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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Aerospace & Defense

Home to SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and a new wave of hypersonics and space-infrastructure startups.

39
companies
$5.5B
total raised
14
cities
Series D$1.37B
Hadrian
Torrance, CA

Hadrian is building highly automated factories to manufacture critical components and systems for defense and aerospace.

Series DDefense Technology
Series G$1.19B
Shield AI Inc
San Diego, CA

Shield AI is a defense-tech company building the world's best AI pilots and next-generation aircraft.

Series GB2B
Series C$1B
Castelion
Torrance, CA

Castelion is a Torrance-based defense startup that mass-produces hypersonic missiles, aiming to shorten development cycles and reduce costs compared to traditional defense programs.

Series CDefense Technology
Series D$833.1M
Impulse Space, Inc.
El Segundo, CA · Founded 2021

We provide efficient in-space mobility that moves payloads from low Earth orbit to any destination. Our vehicles deliver rapid, reliable access, reducing costs and timelines to make space operations feasible for commercial, government, and scientific missions.

Series DB2B
Series C$300.0M
Skyryse
El Segundo, CA

Skyryse is building a universal operating system for flight, SkyOS, to simplify cockpits and standardize aircraft controls, making flight easier and safer.

Series CDefense Technology
Series C$102.0M
Mach Industries Inc.
Huntington Beach, CA · Founded 2022

Mach Industries is building faster, smarter defense infrastructure for the modern era.

Series CB2B
Series B$94.4M
Cambium Biomaterials, Inc.
El Segundo, CA

Advanced material solutions—from AI-driven design to agile U.S. manufacturing—for defense, aerospace, & high-performance applications

Series BB2B
Series A$90.0M
Observable Space
Los Angeles, CA

Observable Space is building advanced optical systems across laser communications ground stations, ground-based optical sensing, and in-space payloads to help satellites and spacecraft see, track, navigate, and communicate more effectively.

Series ADefense Technology
Series A$83.3M
AstroForge, Inc.
Huntington Beach, CA · Founded 2021

AstroForge is a commercial space startup focused on asteroid mining and the extraction of platinum group metals and other critical minerals. Explore our deep space missions and discover how we’re shaping the future of space resources and off-world mining.

Series AB2B
Series C$80.1M
Doppel Inc.
Covina, CA · Founded 2022

Outpace AI-driven attacks. Unify Digital Risk Protection, Human Risk Management, and Email Security to stop digital threats before they scale, empower your teams to lead your defense, and scale your SOC with agentic AI.

Series CB2B
Series C$78.6M
Antares Nuclear, Inc.
Redondo Beach, CA · Founded 2023

Factory-produced, deployable fission microreactors to provide strategic energy for mission-critical systems across Earth, space, and underseas.

Series CIndustrials
Series C$52.1M
Virtualitics, Inc.
Pasadena, CA

Virtualitics is an AI solutions company that transforms data into impactful action with AI readiness applications for defense, government, and enterprise.

Series CB2B
Series B$47.6M
GITAI USA Inc.
Torrance, CA · Founded 2020

Robotics Startup for Space Development

Series BB2B
Series B$40.6M
ABL Space Systems Co
El Segundo, CA

ABL Space Systems is a company based in El Segundo, California, focused on launch vehicle and launch systems technology development.

Series BB2B
Series A$28.0M
Heaviside Industries
Los Angeles, CA

Heaviside Industries is building autonomous precision munitions for U.S. and allied special operations and conventional forces, designed to operate in jammed and GPS-denied environments.

Series ADefense Technology
$25.0M
Catalex Network Partners LLC
Newport Beach, CA · Founded 2025

Catalex Network is a private capital-backed partner for elite boutique insurance defense law firms — back office, technology, and growth resources without giving up your culture.

B2B
Series B$17.5M
Sift Stack, Inc.
El Segundo, CA · Founded 2022

Sift is the unified observability platform for mission-critical hardware—ingest, store, and analyze telemetry at scale across aerospace, defense, and robotics.

Series BB2B
Series A$12.3M
Picogrid, Inc.
El Segundo, CA · Founded 2020

Picogrid delivers integrated systems for modern missions, connecting sensors, platforms, and operators across land, sea, air, and space.

Series AB2B
Seed$10.4M
Sophia Space, Inc.
Pasadena, CA · Founded 2023

Orbital AI Edge Compute for Next-Gen Space Operations

SeedB2B
Seed$9.0M
General Galactic Technologies Corp
El Segundo, CA · Founded 2023

General Galactic builds advanced spacecraft for sustained maneuver and more time on-mission across the space domain

SeedB2B
Seed$8.1M
Fortastra Corp
Torrance, CA · Founded 2025

Orbital defense built for scale.

SeedB2B
Series D$5.0M
SOLAREN CORP
Manhattan Beach, CA

Cost Competitive Space Electricity

Series DIndustrials
Series B$5.0M
Pixxel Space Technologies, Inc.
El Segundo, CA

Pixxel is a space data company and spacecraft manufacturer redefining Earth observation through high-resolution hyperspectral imaging and advanced analytics.

Series BB2B
Series A$4.5M
Balboa GeoLocation, Inc.
El Segundo, CA

Discover Balboa Geolocation's cutting-edge geolocation solutions for defense and commercial markets, ensuring accuracy in challenging environments.

Series AB2B
Seed$4.1M
Launchpoint Electric Propulsion Solutions, Inc.
Goleta, CA · Founded 2020

LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions is a propulsion and power generation company supplying lightweight, highly efficient, power-dense, electric and hybrid systems for aerospace, defense, unmanned aircraft systems, and advanced air mobility.

SeedB2B
Seed$4.1M
Proteus Space, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2021

Rapid Satellite Payload-Tailored Design

SeedB2B
Series D$2.0M
Space Agility, LLC
Redondo Beach, CA · Founded 2020

"The point is to get missions out of the door as fast as possible. Even two to three years is too slow” - Major Gen. Stephen Purdy,US Space Force We solve the long-lead parts problem that has plagued the space industry for decades. Learn More Contact Us

Series DB2B
Seed$800K
ViroMissile, Inc.
La Jolla, CA

ViroMissile is developing the world’s first truly intravenously-delivered viruses that target and kill tumors.

SeedB2B
$750K
Salon Republic Investments, LLC
Thousand Oaks, CA · Founded 2022

Salon Republic is the industry leader of modern salon suites for rent for beauty professionals. Join our community - the place to go for salon rental space.

B2B
Series A$354K
VESTECK, INC.
Carlsbad, CA

The Vesteck Inc Endosuture Aneurysm Repair (ESAR) platform, Suture-Tight™, is revolutionizing the aneurysm repair space.

Series AB2B
TransAstra Corporation
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2021 · 8 employees

Orbital logistics: Unleashing space industry, from Earth to asteroids

Y CombinatorIndustrials
Ares Industries
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2024 · 2 employees

Building low-cost cruise missiles

Y CombinatorIndustrials
Zephyr Fusion
San Diego, CA · Founded 2025 · 2 employees

Powering tomorrow's industrial revolution in space

Y CombinatorIndustrials
RocketLit
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2016 · 11 employees

RocketLit is an adaptive learning and assessment platform.

Y CombinatorEducation
Icarus
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2025 · 50 employees

Stratospheric birds for defense

Y CombinatorIndustrials
Hop Aero
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2026 · 6 employees

Rocket cargo delivery to contested environments

Y CombinatorIndustrials
Inversion Space
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2021 · 28 employees

Turning space into a transportation layer for Earth

Y CombinatorIndustrials
Turion Space
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2021 · 15 employees

Moving Things Around in Space, Imaging Space Objects When We're Not

Y CombinatorIndustrials
Orbital Operations
Los Angeles, CA · Founded 2025 · 10 employees

High Thrust Space Vehicles for Satellite Defense

Y CombinatorIndustrials
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