---
type: entity
entity_type: company
name: Aetherflux
founded: ~2023-2024
founders: [Baiju Bhatt]
headquarters: United States
status: active
industry: [space-based solar power, orbital data centers, space infrastructure]
website: 
domain: space-development
supports:
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures' investment in Aetherflux's orbital solar infrastructure signals that space-based solar power has achieved credibility as a climate technology investment category at institutional investor level
- Orbital data centers and space-based solar power share identical infrastructure requirements in sun-synchronous orbit creating a dual-use architecture where near-term compute revenue cross-subsidizes long-term energy transmission development
reweave_edges:
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures' investment in Aetherflux's orbital solar infrastructure signals that space-based solar power has achieved credibility as a climate technology investment category at institutional investor level|supports|2026-04-10
- Orbital data centers and space-based solar power share identical infrastructure requirements in sun-synchronous orbit creating a dual-use architecture where near-term compute revenue cross-subsidizes long-term energy transmission development|supports|2026-04-11
---

# Aetherflux

## Overview
Aetherflux is a dual-use space infrastructure company building both orbital data centers (ODC) and space-based solar power (SBSP) systems. Founded by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), the company is developing technology to collect solar energy in orbit and transmit it to Earth via infrared lasers, while simultaneously operating AI compute workloads in space.

## Strategic Positioning
Aetherflux's stated mission is "building an American power grid in space, with initial applications to perform AI compute in orbit and to deliver power to contested environments on Earth." The company's architecture leverages the fact that ODC and SBSP share identical infrastructure requirements: continuous solar exposure in sun-synchronous orbit.

## Technology
- **Orbital regime:** Sun-synchronous orbit (~500-600 km altitude, 97° inclination)
- **Power transmission:** Infrared laser-based wireless energy transmission from LEO to Earth
- **Compute architecture:** High-density AI processing with radiative cooling using deep space as thermal sink
- **Dual-use design:** Same satellites serve both compute workloads and power beaming functions

## Business Model
Near-term revenue from orbital AI compute services cross-subsidizes long-term SBSP infrastructure development. ODC provides commercial justification for capital expenditure on orbital solar infrastructure before power beaming is commercially viable.

## Timeline
- **2025-12-10** — Announced "Galactic Brain" orbital data center project targeting Q1 2027 for first commercially operational ODC node
- **2025** — Raised $50M Series A from Index, Interlagos, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and NEA
- **2026** — Planned launch of first satellite to demonstrate wireless energy transmission from LEO to Earth via lasers

## Significance
Aetherflux represents the first clear example of a company building ODC and SBSP infrastructure simultaneously, validating the architectural convergence between these two applications. Breakthrough Energy Ventures' investment signals that SBSP has achieved credibility as a climate technology investment category at institutional level.