Japanese space tech startup Letara expands beyond satellite thrusters with $16M
Japanese space startup Letara is betting its hybrid rocket technology can move beyond small satellite thrusters into a broader market for space, defense and security, after raising ¥2.6 billion ($16 million).
Japanese space startup Letara is betting its hybrid rocket technology can move beyond small satellite thrusters into a broader market for space, defense and security, after raising ¥2.6 billion ($16 million).
The short version
- Japan is pouring billions of dollars into its burgeoning space industry and easing restrictions on defense exports, efforts designed to build a homegrown aerospace sector filled with domestic startups that have a global reach.
- Letara , a Sapporo-based startup developing hybrid propulsion systems for spacecraft, is looking to capitalize on that push.
- After focusing on hybrid thrusters for small satellites, the company now plans to develop large rocket systems for the space, defense, and security markets, company’s co-CEO Shota Hirai told TechCrunch.
What happened
“With this round, we will go beyond demonstrating that thruster in space,” Hirai said. There is considerable opportunity if Letara is successful.
Why it matters
The global hybrid rocket propulsion market is projected to expand to $2.6 billion by 2032, up from $848 million in 2024, at a CAGR of 15% — a trajectory that points to growing demand for the technology.
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