---
type: source
title: "Aetherflux reportedly raising Series B at $2 billion valuation"
author: "Tim Fernholz, TechCrunch (@TechCrunch)"
url: https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/27/aetherflux-reportedly-raising-series-b-at-2-billion-valuation/
date: 2026-03-27
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: [energy]
format: article
status: processed
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-04-02
priority: high
tags: [aetherflux, SBSP, orbital-data-center, funding, valuation, strategic-pivot]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

Aetherflux, the space solar power startup founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, is in talks to raise $250-350M for a Series B round at a $2 billion valuation, led by Index Ventures. The company has raised approximately $60-80M in total to date.

Key framing from Data Center Dynamics: "Aetherflux has shifted focus in recent months as it pushed its power-generating technology toward space data centers, **deemphasizing the transmission of electricity to the Earth with lasers** that was its starting vision."

Key framing from TipRanks: "Aetherflux Targets $2 Billion Valuation as It Pivots Toward Space-Based AI Data Centers"

**Company architecture:**
- Constellation of LEO satellites collecting solar energy in space
- Transmits energy via infrared lasers (not microwaves — smaller ground footprint, higher power density)
- Ground stations ~5-10 m diameter, portable
- First SBSP satellite expected 2026 (rideshare on SpaceX Falcon 9, Apex Space bus)
- First ODC node (Galactic Brain) targeted Q1 2027
- First customer: U.S. Department of Defense

**Counterpoint from Payload Space:** Aetherflux COO framed it as expansion, not pivot — "We are developing a more tightly engineered, interconnected set of GPUs on a single satellite with more of them per launch." The dual-use architecture delivers the same physical platform for both ODC compute AND eventual lunar surface power transmission via laser.

**Strategic dual-use:** Aetherflux's satellites serve:
1. **Near-term (2026-2028):** ODC — AI compute in orbit, continuous solar for power, radiative cooling for thermal management
2. **Long-term (2029+):** SBSP — beam excess power to Earth or to orbital/surface facilities
3. **Defense (immediate):** U.S. DoD as first customer for remote power and/or orbital compute

## Agent Notes

**Why this matters:** The $2B valuation on $60-80M raised total is driven by the ODC framing. Investor capital is valuing AI compute in orbit (immediate market) at a major premium over power-beaming to Earth (long-term regulatory and economics story). This is a market signal about where the near-term value proposition for SBSP-adjacent companies lies.

**What surprised me:** The "deemphasizing power beaming" framing from DCD directly contradicts the 2026 SBSP demo launch (still planned, using Apex bus). If Aetherflux is building toward a 2026 SBSP demo, they haven't abandoned SBSP — the ODC pivot is an investor narrative, not a full strategy shift.

**What I expected but didn't find:** Confirmation that the 2026 Apex-bus SBSP demo satellite was cancelled or deferred. It appears to still be on track, which means the "pivot" is actually a dual-track strategy: SBSP demo to prove the technology, ODC to monetize the infrastructure.

**KB connections:**
- Connects to [[space governance gaps are widening not narrowing]] — Aetherflux's dual-use architecture may require new regulatory frameworks (power beaming licenses, orbital compute operating permits)
- Connects to energy domain — SBSP valuation and cost trajectory
- Connects to [[the space manufacturing killer app sequence is pharmaceuticals now ZBLAN fiber in 3-5 years and bioprinted organs in 15-25 years each catalyzing the next tier of orbital infrastructure]] — ODC may be a faster-activating killer app than previously modeled

**Extraction hints:**
- Extract: "Orbital data centers are providing the near-term revenue validation for SBSP infrastructure, with investor capital pricing ODC value (AI compute demand) at a $2B premium for a company originally positioned as pure SBSP."
- Extract: "Aetherflux's dual-use architecture (LEO satellites → ODC compute now, SBSP power-beaming later) represents a commercial bridge strategy that uses AI compute demand to fund the infrastructure SBSP requires."
- Flag for energy domain: the SBSP cost and timeline case changes if ODC bridges the capital gap.

**Context:** Aetherflux founded 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (Robinhood co-founder). Series A investors: Index Ventures, a16z, Breakthrough Energy. Series B led by Index Ventures. U.S. DoD as first customer (power delivery to remote deployments). March 2026 timing is relevant: ODC sector just activated commercially (Starcloud $170M, NVIDIA Space-1 announcement) and Aetherflux repositioned its narrative to capture that capital.

## Curator Notes (structured handoff for extractor)
PRIMARY CONNECTION: [[space governance gaps are widening not narrowing because technology advances exponentially while institutional design advances linearly]] (for the dual-use regulatory angle) + energy domain (for SBSP bridge claim)
WHY ARCHIVED: Market signal that investor capital values ODC over SBSP 2:1 in early-stage space companies — critical for understanding where the near-term space economy value is accreting. Also the strongest evidence for the ODC-as-SBSP-bridge thesis.
EXTRACTION HINT: The key claim is not "Aetherflux pivoted from SBSP" but "investors are pricing the ODC near-term revenue story at $2B while SBSP remains a long-term optionality value." Extract the bridge strategy claim. Flag cross-domain for energy (SBSP capital formation).
