Startup · New Zealand
Dawn Aerospace
HQ Christchurch, New ZealandFounded 201751-200 employeesUpdated
Space transportation company developing rapidly reusable, rocket-powered suborbital spaceplanes (Aurora) and non-toxic, refuelable propulsion for satellites.
Funding6 rounds · ~$37.7M
- Equity raised
- ~$37.7M
- Debt, secondaries & grants
- ~$278K
- Latest
- $25.0MSeries B · Jun 16, 2026
- Last valuation
- $195MPost-money · Series B · Jun 16, 2026
| Announced | Stage | Amount | Valuation | Lead investors | Other investors | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2026 | Series B | $25.0M | $195M | — | — | Confirmed |
| Jul 1, 2024 | Grant | ~$107K | — | — | — | Reported |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Grant | ~$62K | — | — | — | Reported |
| Dec 7, 2022 | Series A | ~$12.7M | — | Icehouse Ventures | — | Reported |
| Aug 29, 2022 | Grant | ~$59K | — | — | — | Reported |
| Aug 12, 2021 | Grant | ~$49K | — | — | — | Reported |
- Series BValuation $195MConfirmed$25.0MJun 16, 2026
- Grant~$107KJul 1, 2024
- Grant~$62KAug 25, 2023
- Series ALed by Icehouse Ventures~$12.7MDec 7, 2022
- Grant~$59KAug 29, 2022
- Grant~$49KAug 12, 2021
Raised counts equity rounds; debt, secondary sales and grants are totaled separately. Amounts in other currencies are converted at the announcement month's average rate. A ~ marks an estimated or converted amount.
Systems10
- AuroraUncrewed rocket-powered aircraft for suborbital flight.
- B1Bipropellant thruster for spacecraft propulsion.
- B20Bipropellant thruster for spacecraft propulsion.
- B200Spacecraft propulsion thruster under development.
- B5Spacecraft propulsion thruster under development.
- CubeDriveIntegrated chemical propulsion system for CubeSats.
Newest unveiled first. Systems that belong to a government program link to the program page, where variants, costs and contracts are.
Capabilities2
| Technology | Role | Maturity | TRL | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft and aeronautics | Developer | — | — | classify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Develops rocket-powered suborbital spaceplanes and satellite propulsion; no defense use is stated. | Reported |
| Space, launch and counterspace | Developer | — | — | classify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Develops rocket-powered suborbital spaceplanes and satellite propulsion; no defense use is stated. | Reported |
- Developerclassify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Develops rocket-powered suborbital spaceplanes and satellite propulsion; no defense use is stated.—Reported
- Developerclassify_sectors run 37, haiku, taxonomy 2026-10-18b: Develops rocket-powered suborbital spaceplanes and satellite propulsion; no defense use is stated.—Reported
Maturity and TRL describe this organization's work; the field-wide maturity is on each technology's page.
People5
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| James Powell | Founder |
| Jeroen Wink | Founder |
| Robert Werner | Founder |
| Stefan Powell | Founder |
| Tobias Knop | Founder |
Sources7
Profile1
- 1
Jun 17, 2026 · Supports Organization
“Dawn Aerospace has raised $25 million”
Systems3
- 2
Dawn Aerospace · Supports Organization · description, Organization · website, System
“We deliver this capability today with non-toxic, refuelable satellite propulsion and rapidly reusable spaceplanes.”
- 3
Dawn Aerospace · Supports System
“# Cubedrive CubeDrive is Dawn’s propulsion system for CubeSat-class spacecraft. Designed for standard CubeSats, CubeDrive is a fully integrated chemical propulsion system in a 0.8U format.”
- 4
Dawn Aerospace · Supports System
“- ## Orbital Propellant Depot (OPD) - A simple, expendable satellite to deliver bulk propellant to space efficiently. ”
Funding2
- 5
Jun 16, 2026 · Supports Funding round, Organization · ownership
“Dawn Aerospace today announced the close of its Series B funding round, raising $25 million at a $195 million post-money valuation.”
- 6DatabaseDawn Aerospace company profile
Octen Business Search · Supports Funding round, Organization · country, Organization · employee range, Organization · founded year, Organization · hq city, Organization · linkedin url
“funding round: Grant, 2022-08-29, NZD 94,600, lead: Callaghan Innovation”
People1
- 7CompanyAbout | Dawn Aerospace
Dawn Aerospace · Supports Role
“Dawn Aerospace was founded in 2017 by Stefan Powell, Jeroen Wink, James Powell, Robert Werner and Tobias Knop, with a shared vision to scale space mobility.”
Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.