Although a relatively new company in the NewSpace sector, Varda Space Industries is already paving the way for innovation in the industry. The startup was founded in 2020 by Will Bruey, Delian Asparouhov and Daniel Marshall. Bruey used to work at SpaceX, while Marshall and Asparouhov are associated with Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund.

Varda focuses on offering space factories for Earth-bound products. Currently, the company is creating the world’s first commercial zero-gravity industry park at scale.

Varda Space has been researching building an industrial space station in space. The absence of dust particles and a microgravity environment in space offers heightened benefits for the manufacturability of fine technical products like computer chips that hold higher precision and quality than Earth’s surface. This allows for the creation of new materials and products in space, including fiber optics and pharmaceuticals. Now that reusable rockets have made traveling to space more affordable and opened a range of in-space opportunities, Earth’s economy now relies on these products that can only be manufactured in space. Varda helps accelerate and improve this innovation and helps create products that benefit the quality of life on Earth.

Varda’s mission is to expand the economic boundaries of humankind. They operate in Torrance, California, with over 50 employees in office and industrial production facilities. Thus far, Varda has achieved $53 million in venture funding from investors, including Lux Capital. Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures and more.

Among their accomplishments so far, Varda Space signed a contract with Rocket Lab to acquire three Photo satellite buses to use on missions to build the space station. The first delivery is anticipated for Q1 of 2023. Further, Varda Space selected SpaceX to launch its first manufacturing satellite. In early 2023, they expect to launch its first spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to demonstrate that they can produce a wide range of materials in space environments.

Stay tuned for more from Varda Space Industries!