Week in Space Data, every Friday.
Space Forge manufactures advanced semiconductor and alloy materials in microgravity aboard returnable ForgeStar satellites designed to re-enter Earth for retrieval.
ACTIVESpace Forge is a Cardiff-based advanced materials company developing semiconductor substrates grown in microgravity on ForgeStar, which it describes as the world's first returnable and reusable in-space manufacturing platform. Its ForgeStar-1 demonstration satellite has generated plasma in orbit more than 100 times.
Space Forge is a Welsh startup pioneering in-space manufacturing. Their ForgeStar platform is a returnable satellite designed to produce super-materials in microgravity, including high-purity semiconductors, specialty alloys, and fiber optics. The company leverages the unique vacuum and zero-gravity conditions of low Earth orbit to create products with properties unattainable on Earth. Their satellites are designed to be reusable, returning to Earth via controlled re-entry with manufactured goods before being refurbished and relaunched.
Rank 87 of 93 ranked companies. With the pillars we have not measured for this company filled at the 10th and 90th percentiles of the companies we did measure, and every other company held at its published total, the rank is likely between 69 and 93.
2 of 5 inputs measured · Medium confidence · 75% of applicable weight backed by data
Not measured: Market value, Reported revenue
Not measured: Open-role change (90 days)
A pillar score averages the company’s percentiles among the tracked companies with a value: relative standing, not a grade. Inputs measured 2026-10-15 (UTC) · methodology v6. Every input, its value and percentile · How it is computed
The Space Score ranks companies relative to each other on public data we hold. It describes; it does not rate, forecast or recommend. It is not a credit rating and not investment advice. Full disclaimer
Sources: Founded, Headquarters, CEO, Employees, Legal name
For information only, not investment advice. SpaceNexus is not a registered investment adviser, broker or dealer, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. Data may be delayed, estimated or incomplete; check the source before acting. Full disclaimer
1 private round on record. Debt, grants, state capital, owner funding and acquisitions are listed under Funding history by class and not added in.
Space Forge's in-space manufacturing satellite line, designed toward a returnable, reusable platform. ForgeStar-1 launched in June 2025 and generated plasma in orbit for semiconductor crystal growth.
Checking for a discussion…
Compiled Oct 15, 2026 from 4 public records. Every figure links the record it comes from.
Latest sourced round
Series A: £22.6M (about $30.1M)
Lead recorded as NATO Innovation Fund. Dollar figure converted at 1.33262 GBP/USD (ECB euro foreign exchange reference rates) on May 14, 2025
Source: European Spaceflight
Announced May 14, 2025
Sourced rounds on record
2 rounds, $40.2M disclosed
Every round has a disclosed amount
Published rounds with a source link only, on the same rules as the funding tracker. Each round links the source that states its figure; amounts in other currencies are converted to dollars at the rate shown on the funding tracker.
Satellites owned or operated
1 in orbit of 1 launched
Latest: ForgeStar-1
Payloads GCAT lists with this organisation as owner or operator. "In orbit" is GCAT status O. Counted under GCAT organisation code SPFORG. Catalogue updated Sep 24, 2026.
Source: GCAT satellite catalogue
Latest launch Jun 23, 2025
Satellites built
1 payload launched, 1 in orbit
Latest: ForgeStar-1
Payloads GCAT lists with this organisation as manufacturer. Counted under GCAT organisation code SPFORG. Catalogue updated Sep 24, 2026.
Source: GCAT satellite catalogue
Latest launch Jun 23, 2025
British Business Bank
Took part in Series A (May 14, 2025)
European Spaceflight, May 14, 2025
Recorded as lead of Series A (May 14, 2025)
European Spaceflight, May 14, 2025
NSSIF
Took part in Series A (May 14, 2025)
Satellite data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0.
APA
SpaceNexus. (2026, October 15). Space Forge: Company dossier [Data set]. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/space-forge
Chicago
SpaceNexus. "Space Forge: Company dossier." Data as of October 15, 2026. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/space-forge.
BibTeX
@misc{spacenexus_spaceforge_2026,
author = {{SpaceNexus}},
title = {{Space Forge}: Company dossier},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
howpublished = {\url{https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/space-forge}},
url = {https://spacenexus.us/company-profiles/space-forge},
urldate = {2026-10-15},
note = {Data as of 2026-10-15; each fact links its primary source}
}World Fund
Took part in Series A (May 14, 2025)
European Spaceflight, May 14, 2025
Took part in Seed (Dec 18, 2021)
The Guardian, Dec 18, 2021