Aerospace & Space

Pioneering the Multi-Planetary Economy

Redefining Space and Aviation for the 21st Century

The aerospace and space industry is no longer just about exploration—it’s about creating a new economic frontier. From lunar mining and space habitats to autonomous aircraft and supersonic flight, we invest in companies building the infrastructure for humanity’s multi-planetary future and transforming terrestrial mobility. Our portfolio companies are pioneering reusable rockets, satellite constellations, zero-gravity manufacturing, and electric aviation, laying the foundation for trillion-dollar markets in space and on Earth.

PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP

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Draper-backed aerospace companies like SpaceX, Planet Labs, and Natilus are leading the charge in commercial space exploration and autonomous aviation, with SpaceX alone achieving a $350B+ valuation and launching more than the rest of the world combined in 2024.

$350B+

Current valuation of SpaceX, launching more than the rest of the world combined

Space launch vehicle technology, aerospace innovation rocket propulsion systems

FRONTIER INNOVATION

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Portfolio companies like MightyFly and Gravitics are developing autonomous eVTOL cargo aircraft and large space structures, while lunar resource extraction moves from demonstrations in the late 2020s to commercial operations in the 2030s.

2030s

Decade when commercial lunar mining operations are expected to begin

UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH

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The global space economy is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, up from $630 billion in 2023, driven by satellite constellations, space-based manufacturing, and the emergence of lunar resource extraction operations.

$1.8T

Projected global space economy value by 2035

Satellite constellation space infrastructure, orbital technology and space commerce

WE HAVE BACKED JUGGERNAUTS ACROSS Aerospace & Space

Otter.ai

I'm incredibly grateful for Tim's support over the past 15+ years. From the very beginning, before there was even a product or prototype, Tim saw something in our vision that others didn't. After dozens of VCs passed on my first idea, Tim gave me the chance to be an entrepreneur in residence at DFJ in 2010, where I incubated my first startup. He later invested in the startup, and that journey eventually led to a successful acquisition. In 2016, when I came back with the ambitious (and admittedly crazy) idea to record and make all the conversations in the world searchable, most people walked away citing privacy concerns or doubting we could compete with the tech giants. But not Tim. He immediately resonated with the vision, backed us before anything was built, and was the very first to use our product for every meeting, and strongly recommended Otter to everyone he met. Tim's contrarian mindset, visionary outlook, and unconditional support have been a constant source of inspiration. I've always felt lucky to have him on our team and even more so as we continue building Otter into something truly game-changing.

Sam Liang

Cruise Automation

Tim has taken a chance on me with both Justin.tv and Cruise - two wildly ambitious ideas where it was absolutely not clear whether they'd work at all. Tim has an amazing ability to identify unique opportunities far before others see them.

Kyle Vogt

Colossal

As a five-time entrepreneur, I know it is impossible to succeed without great investment partners on your team. When I seek out investment, I'm looking for people who not only see the ROI but want to support the team and mission. Draper has always had a reputation as one of the best because of how they go above and beyond for their portfolio, and our experience with you all has proven out why that reputation exists. This relationship has been critical for the growth of Colossal and we are grateful for the continued support since day one.

Ben Lamm

ioNetworks

DA's financial support enabled us to take risks optimizing our product and invest R&D into chip partnerships with major players despite limited short-term revenue, while their U.S. network connections helped us go global. Draper Associates has been the visionary partner who recognized edge AI potential early and accelerated our journey to AIoT leadership across consumer electronics, automotive, healthcare, and smart city applications.

Erix Lin

Team Wildfire

While strategic and financial support is necessary, one of the most important aspects of working with investors like Draper is the moment that you, as a founder, realize you're not the only person crazy enough to believe in your vision. While founders are, of necessity, incredibly confident people, your confidence doubles when someone tells you they think you can make it happen, and backs that up with their money. Draper Associates is distinguished amongst investors in that they have not only a tolerance for risk, but an appetite for it, and they understand that the biggest payoffs require the greatest risk.

Steve Wolf

Torram

Draper Associates was one of the key early believers in our Bitcoin infrastructure and Lee and I as Cofounders, when not many were able to see our bold vision for the future of Bitcoin. Their bold backing, when others were doubtful, changed everything for us as a company.

Vakeesan Mahalingam, CFA

VVater

Draper didn’t just fund us; they opened doors. Their introductions refined our product-market fit and gave us critical business guidance. With Draper behind us, VVater captured the CES Best of Innovation and World Future Awards in 2025, and earned the title ‘America’s Next Water Company.’ Having Draper as a partner, not just a capital provider, is the catalyst for our success.

Kevin Gast

TrustMe

Draper Associates gave us far more than capital. They helped forge our founding team. I joined Tim Draper’s Hero Training and met the co-founder who now drives TrustMe forward with me. We’re in this for the long haul, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner than Tim and the Draper ecosystem.

Chingiz Dauletbayev

Webflow

Even after several setbacks with trying to start Webflow, Tim believed in us from the first few moments after hearing our story and our idea. He became our very first investor and helped us become the company we are today.

Vlad Magdalin

nVision

At Draper University, I learned to tell my story and make a business case at the same time. Tim taught me to be comfortable talking about my health scare and why I entered the healthcare space. As a first-time entrepreneur trying to find a detection mechanism for one of the most difficult diseases to diagnose early, ovarian cancer, I needed an (ad)venture capitalist to join me along my journey. Tim believed in the market and the problem we were trying to solve, and he supported me at every turn, from seed funding to acquisition. He asked tough questions, even hardware-related stuff. He was giving us design ideas. Tim is full service.

Surbhi Sarna

Wisecut

Draper's early trust, strategic advice, and credibility opened doors, accelerated our growth, and gave us the confidence to scale Wisecut's mission to build a self-scaling AI clips network empowering brands to reach millions organically. A true catalyst. Draper Associates has been the bold, visionary partner who empowers us to think bigger and reach milestones we once dreamed of.

Ivo Machado

Twitch

Without Tim, Twitch would probably not exist. He invested fearlessly when other investors only saw what was wrong with our business and could not imagine its potential.

Michael Seibel

TRAXyL Inc.

Identifying how our technology could be dual-use for commercial and government efforts was key to bringing in a substantial amount of non-dilutive funds. We have a capital-intensive hardware company, so we appreciate Tim for sharing our vision and investing at just the right time to help us close a government deal. We certainly appreciate his gentle approach to letting us figure things out. He's not heavy handed, yet we still feel firmly supported.

Daniel Turner

Unocoin

Tim Draper himself is a big believer of bitcoin. His mission of being a part of the industry globally and advice at crucial juncture of Unocoin's business has helped us to shape what is Unocoin today.

Sathvik Vishwanath

Robinhood

When we raised our seed round for Robinhood in 2013, many investors were skeptical of the idea. Tim took a bet on us and understood how technology could make finance accessible to a new generation. As a part of the deal for his seed investment (which was critical for the business), we agreed to forgo our salaries for a period of time. I'm grateful for Tim's early support!

Baiju Bhatt

Skype

We were building Skype from Europe in the wake of the dotcom crash and with a US lawsuit hanging over us from our previous company, Kazaa. It was a terrible environment for fundraising and we were starting to feel like we missed the boat. Amazingly, the first person to put money into our idea was Bill Draper. He wired us $100,000 before the documents had even been signed. That cheque made Skype possible from pretty much nothing and started a long-standing relationship with Draper Associates. Soon after we got to know Tim, who made it clear he wanted to invest in the next round - eventually he just asked, 'What are the terms you need?' Tim joined our board and became an important advocate for the Skype vision. In fact, he was the only board member against Skype's $2.6 billion acquisition by eBay. He correctly foresaw there was further upside. Draper Associates was essential to the inception and growth of a company that went on to help millions of people stay connected to loved ones and inspired a whole generation of new entrepreneurs. First and second order Skype alumni have created over 900 new companies.

Niklas Zennström

Roxom & Previously Lemon Cash

The biggest thing for me was shaping me with the right go-big or go-home mentality !!! Tim & Draper as a whole has been, mainly, my dream big, motivational partner. Besides that, you've always been my first check, which has nurtured a strong sense of confidence in myself.

Borja Martel Seward

Synaptic Bionics/Biogrip

It wasn't just the funding it was the trust. Draper gave us the space to dream big and the support to turn those dreams into something real, when it mattered most. Draper Associates has been that rare kind of partner who believes in you before it's obvious like having a teammate who sees the future with you, and won't let you give up on it.

Alan Hernandez

Roxom

Beyond capital, Draper gave us the strategic clarity to stay true to our mission: re-pricing the world in Bitcoin. Draper Associates has been a true conviction partner. Early, fearless, and aligned with our long-term mission to reshape global markets.

Nick Damico

Solo

Having Tim's name behind us gave us the confidence and the leverage to go from pitching strategic partners to acquiring talents to closing deals. Inspiring. After attending Draper's 40th Anniversary celebration in May, we felt even more confident that Tim is not just an investor, but a mentor and a supportive friend backing countless successful companies around the world, including Solo in the future.

Edison Siu

Space technology manufacturing, aerospace engineering innovation and orbital systems

Building the Next Economic Frontier Beyond Earth

For over half a century, space was the exclusive domain of governments—a proving ground for national pride, scientific exploration, and geopolitical competition. This is finally changing. Today, aerospace and aviation are transforming into something much larger: the foundation of an entirely new economy that will extend human civilization beyond Earth and revolutionize travel on it.

The Multi-Planetary Economy

The aerospace industry is no longer just about rockets and satellites; it is about reinventing transportation and building infrastructure for a multi-planetary species. Companies leading this transformation aren't just launching payloads into orbit—they are laying the groundwork for entirely new industries that will thrive in the vacuum of space and in Earth's skies.

Revolutionizing Terrestrial Aviation

Commercial aviation has remained surprisingly stagnant for decades—planes flying today are largely the same designs introduced years ago. Electric, autonomous, and supersonic aircraft are promising to radically shorten flight times, increase safety, reduce emissions, and reshape global logistics. Autonomous cargo planes and air taxis could revolutionize how we move goods and people.

Space-Based Manufacturing & Lunar Resources

Factories will soon operate in zero gravity, producing materials that can't be made on Earth. The Moon will become an economic hub, home to mining operations, industrial manufacturing, and deep-space fuel depots. Ccommercial lunar mining demonstrations are expected in the late 2020s, while full-scale operations will likely emerge in the 2030s as companies race to pioneer resource extraction technologies.

Mars is an Industrial Challenge

Mars is no longer just a dream—it is an industrial challenge. The companies that master life-support, transportation, and energy production in extreme environments will lead humanity's next frontier. Space habitats and deep-space propulsion systems are making Mars colonization and long-duration missions increasingly viable.

Our Investment Thesis

We back companies building the economic infrastructure of space and the next generation of aircraft. The future will belong to those who create off-world economies, reinvent aviation, and build the technologies that make space accessible, habitable, and commercially viable.

Market-Defining Portfolio

Our aerospace portfolio includes category-defining companies like SpaceX ($350B+ valuation, launching more than the rest of the world combined), Planet Labs (largest satellite fleet), Natilus (autonomous cargo aircraft), MightyFly (eVTOL logistics), ICEYE (SAR imaging), Slingshot (space situational awareness), Outpost (space logistics), Gravitics (space infrastructure), and Max Space (expandable habitats). These companies are shaping the future of space commerce and terrestrial aviation.

The Next Frontier

We're excited about companies working on lunar and asteroid resource extraction, AI-powered satellite networks, space-based manufacturing, deep-space propulsion systems, and revolutionary aircraft technologies such as electric, autonomous, and supersonic flight. The businesses that build off-world economies and reinvent aviation will be the ones that define the 21st century.