Key Takeaways
- Blue Origin seeks $10 billion in its first outside fundraising round.
- Fundraising values Blue Origin at an estimated $130 billion.
- Bezos targets New Glenn’s return to flight by late 2026.
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is raising about $10 billion in its first outside funding round, valuing the space company at $130 billion as it seeks new investors to support expansion amid growing competition with SpaceX.
Blue Origin’s fundraising marks the first time the company has sought outside capital since its founding in 2000. Bezos is expected to invest $2 billion in the round, while hedge fund Coatue Management plans to contribute about $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss the private transaction publicly.
The remaining $4 billion has attracted strong investor interest, with several major investors expected to participate, the sources said.
Funding Follows SpaceX’s Record IPO
The fundraising comes weeks after Elon Musk’s SpaceX completed a record-breaking initial public offering. SpaceX raised nearly $86 billion, including the underwriters’ option, and is now valued at about $2 trillion.
Blue Origin competes with SpaceX in several commercial space markets, including heavy-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and satellite internet services. While SpaceX maintains a significant lead across several business segments, Blue Origin continues expanding its launch capabilities and government partnerships.
Bezos told CNBC in May that the company was considering bringing in outside investors.
“It is a good time, actually, to start thinking about the future and bring on some other outside investors,” Bezos said.
The Amazon founder established Blue Origin in 2000 and has historically financed the company through sales of his Amazon stock after stepping down as Amazon’s chief executive in 2021. In 2024, Bezos said he believes Blue Origin could eventually become a larger company than Amazon.
Company Pushes Ahead After Launchpad Setback
Blue Origin continues developing its New Glenn rocket despite a setback in late May, when one of the launch vehicles exploded during a static hot-fire test at a Florida launchpad.
The company is rebuilding the damaged launchpad while investigating the cause of the incident. Blue Origin Chief Executive Dave Limp and Bezos have set a goal of returning New Glenn to flight before the end of 2026.
The rocket plays a central role in the company’s future commercial and government missions, including planned work for NASA and customers such as Amazon and AST SpaceMobile.
The latest fundraising is expected to provide Blue Origin with additional capital to accelerate development, strengthen its launch business, and compete more aggressively in the growing commercial space industry.
The company has not publicly announced the fundraising round or disclosed its final list of investors.
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