United States defunct
Planetary Resources
Planetary Resources was Redmond, Washington's most prominent asteroid mining startup, founded in 2010 by Peter Diamandis and Eric Anderson with high-profile backers including Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, James Cameron, and Richard Branson.
- Founded
- 2010
- Headquarters
- Redmond, United States
- Ownership
- Subsidiary of Consensys
- Last round
- Undisclosed round · $20.7M 2015-10
Quick Facts
About Planetary Resources
Planetary Resources was Redmond, Washington's most prominent asteroid mining startup, founded in 2010 by Peter Diamandis and Eric Anderson with high-profile backers including Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, James Cameron, and Richard Branson. The company proposed a three-phase strategy: Arkyd-100 prospecting telescopes, Arkyd-200 swarm satellites for asteroid rendezvous, and ultimately resource extraction. Planetary Resources launched an Arkyd-3 reflight CubeSat from the ISS in 2015 and Arkyd-6 (thermal imaging for water detection) in 2018.
Despite the celebrity investors and early momentum, the company ran out of funding and was acquired by ConsenSys (blockchain company) in October 2018. ConsenSys wound it down by 2020 — reflecting the 2010s asteroid mining wave's fundamental challenge: timelines and capital requirements far exceeded what any startup could sustain without a near-term revenue bridge. The intellectual legacy influenced regulatory development (Space Act of 2015) and the modern commercial space resource movement.
Funding history
3 events| Date | Round | Amount | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-10-06 | Undisclosed round | $20.7M | — Form D amendment filed 2016-05-26 by PLANETARY RESOURCES, INC.: $20.7M sold of a $33.8M offering (first sale 2015-10-06). | sec.gov |
| 2015-10-06 | Undisclosed round | $12.2M | — Form D filed 2015-10-21 by PLANETARY RESOURCES, INC.: $12.2M sold of a $20.0M offering (first sale 2015-10-06). | sec.gov |
| 2015-10-06 | Undisclosed round | $34.8M | — Form D amendment filed 2016-11-16 by PLANETARY RESOURCES, INC.: $34.8M sold of a $49.4M offering (first sale 2015-10-06). | sec.gov |
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Signals
- Verification
- Verified 2026-09-05
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Frequently asked about Planetary Resources
Quick answers to the questions readers most often search for.
- When was Planetary Resources founded?
- Planetary Resources was founded in 2010 in United States.
- Where is Planetary Resources headquartered?
- Planetary Resources is headquartered in Redmond, United States.
- What does Planetary Resources do?
- Planetary Resources was Redmond, Washington's most prominent asteroid mining startup, founded in 2010 by Peter Diamandis and Eric Anderson with high-profile backers including Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, James Cameron, and Richard Branson. The company proposed a three-phase strategy: Arkyd-100 prospecting telescopes, Arky…
- Is Planetary Resources still operating?
- Planetary Resources is no longer operating. Status: defunct.
- What sector does Planetary Resources operate in?
- Planetary Resources works in asteroid mining and Space resources.
Data Accuracy Notice: Information about Planetary Resources 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.