United States development
K2 Space
K2 Space is a satellite manufacturing startup developing ultra-large, high-capability spacecraft at small satellite price points for a post-Starship future.
- Headquarters
- Torrance, United States
- Founded
- 2022
- Type
- commercial
- Founded
- 2022
- Headquarters
- Torrance, United States
- Stage
- Growth
- Ownership
- Private
- Total raised
- $1B+
- Last valuation
- $6.8B
- Employees
- 300 as of 2026
- Last round
- Series D · $500M 2026-07
- Investors
- 8
Quick Facts
About K2 Space
K2 Space is a satellite manufacturing startup developing ultra-large, high-capability spacecraft at small satellite price points for a post-Starship future. Founded by brothers Karan and Neel Kunjur with a team from SpaceX and Blue Origin, K2 Space is building massive satellites optimized for dramatically lower launch costs.
In 2024, K2 Space achieved significant milestones including scaling from 25 to 90 employees, expanding from 15,000 to 180,000 square feet of production facility, and securing over $50 million in customer contracts. The company successfully completed its first in-space mission, activating flight computer, microcontroller, motor controller, and reaction wheel hardware on orbit.
The U.S. Space Force awarded K2 Space a $60 million contract to build its first Mega class satellite for Medium Earth Orbit. The Gravitas mission will launch no earlier than February 2026 on SpaceX Transporter-16, carrying national security payloads from LEO to MEO using a 20-kilowatt electric propulsion system among the most powerful ever flown commercially.
K2 Space's Mega Class satellite bus delivers payload mass, power, and volume of large satellites at small satellite prices. The planned Giga Class platform will provide over 115 kW power and 15,000 kg payload mass, becoming the largest and highest power commercial satellite ever deployed. The company continues developing revolutionary satellite platforms anticipating continued reduction in launch costs from Starship and other heavy-lift vehicles.
Products and product lines
| Product | Line | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Class satellite bus | Satellite platform | High-power satellite bus K2 says delivers roughly 20 kW of power and multi-thousand-kg payload capacity at small-satellite price points. |
| Giga Class satellite bus | Satellite platform (in development) | Larger platform sized for Starship- and New Glenn-class launch vehicles; K2's July 2026 Series D release targets a 100 kW-class Giga satellite launching in the second half of 2028. |
| Gravitas (K2-1) | Satellite | K2's first Mega Class satellite: roughly 2 metric tons with a 40-meter deployed solar array and 20 kW of power, carrying 12 undisclosed DoD and commercial payloads; launched March 30, 2026 on a SpaceX Falcon 9. |
| 20 kW Hall-effect electric propulsion thruster | Propulsion | Krypton-fed Hall thruster K2 test-fired in July 2025 and describes as the most powerful ever flown in space, enabling LEO-to-MEO orbit raises in under 90 days. |
| Optical/laser intersatellite crosslink payload | Satellite payload | Crosslink hardware flown on Gravitas to demonstrate space-to-space and space-to-ground laser communications for the Pentagon's OPIR Space Modernization Initiative, supporting the Golden Dome missile-defense architecture. |
| SES meoSphere constellation satellites | Commercial satellite order | K2 is under contract to build 30 satellites for SES's planned MEO broadband network, per K2's July 2026 Series D announcement. |
Timeline
- 2025 K2 announces a $110 million Series B led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Altimeter Capital on February 13, alongside its first in-space demonstration (flight computer, motor controller and reaction wheel), after scaling from 25 to 90 employees and opening a 180,000-sq-ft Torrance, California facility in 2024. [source]
- 2025 K2 test-fires a krypton-fed 20 kW Hall-effect thruster on July 7, which it describes as the most powerful ever flown in space, enabling LEO-to-MEO orbit raises in under 90 days. [source]
- 2025 K2 announces the 2027 "Trinity" mission on October 14: a single Falcon 9 launch deploying three satellites that independently raise themselves to LEO, MEO and GEO using K2's 20 kW electric propulsion system. [source]
- 2025 K2 raises a $250 million Series C led by Redpoint at a $3 billion valuation on December 11, taking total funding past $450 million against $500 million in signed government and commercial contracts. [source]
- 2026 TechCrunch details K2's first satellite, Gravitas — a 2-metric-ton, $15 million spacecraft with a 40-meter solar array and 20 kW of power, carrying 12 undisclosed DoD and commercial payloads — ahead of its planned end-of-March launch. [source]
- 2026 Gravitas launches March 30 on a Falcon 9, and the Space Force's OPIR Space Modernization Initiative selects K2 (announced April 30) to test optical intersatellite crosslinks for Golden Dome missile-defense communications, part of a $180 million FY2027 SMI budget that includes $7.3 million for crosslink demonstrations. [source]
- 2026 K2, based in Torrance, California, opens a second engineering office in the Seattle area on July 1, reporting nearly 300 employees, over $500 million raised, and more than $1 billion in signed contracts. [source]
- 2026 K2 raises a $500 million Series D led by Kleiner Perkins and ICONIQ at a $6.8 billion valuation on July 30, pushing cumulative funding past $1 billion to fund a 100-satellite-per-year production rate and the 100 kW-class Giga platform. [source]
Funding history
4 events · $1B+ raised| Date | Round | Amount | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-30 | Series D | $500M | Kleiner PerkinsICONIQ Series D of $500 million led by Kleiner Perkins and ICONIQ at a $6.8 billion valuation, 30 July 2026. | prnewswire.com |
| 2025-12-13 | Series C | $250M | RedpointT. Rowe PriceHedosophiaAltimeter CapitalLightspeed Venture PartnersAlpine Space Ventures Series C at $3B valuation led by Redpoint; GRAVITAS Mega Class satellite launch planned March 2026 | prnewswire.com |
| 2025-02-13 | Series B | $110M | Lightspeed Venture PartnersAltimeter Capital Series B of $110 million led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Altimeter Capital, 13 February 2025. | prnewswire.com |
| 2023-02-28 | Undisclosed round | $8.5M | — Form D filed 2023-03-15 by K2 Space Corp: $8.5M sold of a $8.5M offering (first sale 2023-02-28). | sec.gov |
Investors
From the sourced rounds above. Investors with two or more deals in the directory link to a portfolio page.
Team
- Karan Kunjur CEO · source
Signals
- Verification
- Verified 2026-09-09
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Frequently asked about K2 Space
Quick answers to the questions readers most often search for.
- When was K2 Space founded?
- K2 Space was founded in 2022 in United States.
- Where is K2 Space headquartered?
- K2 Space is headquartered in Torrance, United States.
- What does K2 Space do?
- K2 Space is a satellite manufacturing startup developing ultra-large, high-capability spacecraft at small satellite price points for a post-Starship future. Founded by brothers Karan and Neel Kunjur with a team from SpaceX and Blue Origin, K2 Space is building massive satellites optimized for dramatically lower launch …
- Is K2 Space a public or private company?
- K2 Space is a privately held company and is not listed on any stock exchange.
- What sector does K2 Space operate in?
- K2 Space works in satellite manufacturing and Avionics.
Data Accuracy Notice: Information about K2 Space is compiled from publicly available sources including company websites, press releases, regulatory filings, and industry reports. Data is reviewed periodically but may not reflect the most recent developments.