Spacetech Startup EtherealX Secures USD 20.5 Mn in Series A Round The Series A round was co-led by TDK Ventures and BIG Capital, along with Accel, Prosus, YourNest Capital, BlueHill Capital, Campus Fund, and Riceberg Ventures participation.
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Space tech startup Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX) has raised USD 20.5 million in a Series A funding round co-led by TDK Ventures and BIG Capital.
Other participants in the round include Accel, Prosus, YourNest Venture Capital, BlueHill Capital, Campus Fund, and Riceberg Ventures.
The Bengaluru-based startup had earlier secured USD 5 million in a seed funding round in August 2024. That round was led by YourNest and saw participation from BIG Global Investments JSC, BlueHill Capital, Campus Fund, Golden Sparrow Ventures, IIFL Wealth executives Karan Bhagat and Yatin Shah, Kiran Shetty, and Akhilesh Agarwal.
EtherealX said the fresh capital will be used to develop its first fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle, named Razor Crest Mk-1. The rocket is being designed to support multiple missions and reduce launch costs through reusability.
Founded in 2022 by Manu J Nair, Shubhayu Sardar, and Prashanth Sharma, EtherealX is working on a medium-lift launch vehicle intended to carry heavy payloads to orbit. The startup stated that Razor Crest Mk-1 is expected to place up to eight tonnes into low Earth orbit, with capability to deliver payloads to geostationary transfer and trans-lunar injection orbits.
The startup said it is developing a fully reusable launch vehicle with a total lift capacity of around 25 tonnes. Within three and a half years, the company claims to have built two rocket engines that will power the vehicle's two stages.
Razor Crest Mk-1 is projected to carry up to 24.8 tonnes to low Earth orbit and up to 10.8 tonnes to geosynchronous transfer orbit. EtherealX aims to reduce launch costs to a target range of USD 500 to USD 1,000 per kilogram.
The company's reusable upper stage uses a proprietary engine feed system called the Full Flow Segregated Cooling Cycle. EtherealX also relies on in-house simulation tools and testing facilities.
EtherealX said it has manufactured its 80 kN reusable upper-stage engine, Pegasus, and has signed collaboration agreements with IN-SPACe, ISRO, and commercial space partners worldwide to support future launch missions globally.
