Orbital data centre startup Starcloud valued at US$2.3 billion after latest funding round

Starcloud, a startup developing orbital data centres, has raised US$250 million in a funding round that values it at US$2.3 billion. The round was led by Manhattan West with participation from Nvidia and Cisco Investments, and the company plans to expand AI infrastructure in space.

Starcloud, a startup building data centres in space, announced on Friday (21 Aug) that it has raised US$250 million at a US$2.3 billion valuation as it seeks to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure through orbital data centres.

Manhattan West led the round, which included new investors Nvidia and Cisco Investments alongside existing backers Benchmark, EQT, Soma and others, the company said. The startup was valued at US$1.1 billion in March, when it raised US$170 million.

The latest funding brings Starcloud's total capital raised to US$450 million since its founding in 2024. The company said it is working with Nvidia on the Nvidia Space-1 Vera Rubin Module, which is designed to withstand radiation and extreme conditions in orbit.

Proceeds from the round will be used to fund manufacturing capacity expansion, engineering collaboration with Nvidia, and procurement for newer products. Starcloud is targeting a constellation of 88,000 satellites with 20 gigawatts of orbital compute capacity, and is building a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Woodinville, Washington, for its next-generation Starcloud-3 spacecraft.

SpaceX's blockbuster initial public offering has rekindled investor interest in the space industry, including emerging areas such as orbital data centres. Manhattan West's Lauren Selig has joined Starcloud's board as an observer.