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The Rise of Space: Why Space Race 2.0 Is a Serious Business (and Why You Should Care)
Space Race 2.0 is here, no longer just for governments. Private companies are transforming space into a booming industry with opportunities in satellites, infrastructure, and mining. This isn’t a gimmick—it’s a trillion-dollar economy in the making. It’s time to think beyond SpaceX.
Richard Hadler here from Founders Capital. We scour Europe for the top 1% of Start-ups led by epic Founders, giving them access to our world-class investor & partner network to scale their ventures to heady heights.
In the mid-20th century, the world watched in awe as NASA and the Soviet Union duked it out in the Space Race, a geopolitical contest that gave us satellites, moon landings, and that unforgettable “one small step for man.”
Fast-forward to today, and the new space race is a very different kind of contest. It’s no longer a clash of superpowers—it’s a fierce, multi-billion-dollar industry powered by visionary entrepreneurs, relentless innovation, and an undeniable truth: the future is interstellar.
Welcome to Space Race 2.0.
This time around, there’s more than just one winner. And if you’re still thinking of space as the final frontier that’s always just out of reach, let me stop you right there.
Space isn’t a gimmick.
It’s not just a playground for billionaires or a sci-fi subplot. It’s an industry that’s about to explode, reshaping economies, solving global challenges, and creating unimaginable opportunities. And yes, while SpaceX is the poster child, there’s a whole galaxy of companies ready to carve out their piece of the pie.
SpaceX: The Catalyst of a Revolution
Let’s start with the obvious: SpaceX. Elon Musk’s audacious space venture has done for the space industry what the iPhone did for mobile technology—revolutionised it. SpaceX made rockets reusable, slashed the cost of launching payloads, and turned space from a government-only playground into a viable commercial frontier. Their Starlink satellites are providing internet to remote corners of the Earth, and their Mars ambitions are straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster.
SpaceX didn’t just build rockets; it built momentum. Like NASA did 30 years ago, SpaceX captured public imagination and shifted space from a niche interest to a mainstream conversation. They opened the door, but they aren’t the whole story.
Beyond SpaceX: The Space Ecosystem is Thriving
Here’s the kicker: while SpaceX might dominate headlines, they’re far from alone. The modern space race is bustling with ambitious companies across diverse verticals.
Take Rocket Lab, for example. This New Zealand-born company specialises in small satellite launches, offering an agile and cost-effective alternative to SpaceX’s larger payloads. Then there’s Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s space venture, which is chasing heavy-lift capabilities and a booming space tourism market.
Meanwhile, Relativity Space is rewriting the playbook with 3D-printed rockets, and satellite giants like Planet Labs and Maxar are revolutionising industries from agriculture to defence with cutting-edge imaging technology.
And this is just the tip of the (space) iceberg. Start-ups focusing on lunar mining, in-orbit manufacturing, and space logistics are cropping up everywhere, each addressing a specific piece of the puzzle.
The result?
An industry where specialisation is key, competition is fierce, and opportunities are boundless.
Why There’s Room for Multiple Winners
The space industry is vast, and unlike traditional markets, it doesn’t have to crown a single champion. This isn’t the Cola Wars. Instead, it’s more like the early days of the internet, when giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft thrived by excelling in different areas.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what to watch out for in Space:
Launch Services: SpaceX and Rocket Lab dominate, but players like Relativity and Blue Origin are gaining ground.
Satellites and Connectivity: Starlink might be king, but OneWeb and Amazon’s Project Kuiper are hot on its heels.
Space Infrastructure: Axiom Space and Sierra Space are building habitats and infrastructure for commercial and scientific use.
Resource Extraction: Companies like Asteroid Mining Corporation are eyeing the Moon and beyond for raw materials.
Each segment is its own multi-billion-dollar opportunity. As costs continue to drop and technology advances, these niches will grow, overlap, and create entirely new industries.
We have 2 space companies in our portfolio and are currently finalising an investment into one more, Stoke Space. Stoke Space is revolutionising space launch technology with fully reusable rockets, enabling rapid, cost-effective, and versatile access to orbit. Led by former Blue Origin engineers, Stoke is positioned to disrupt the $630B global space market, backed by leading investors like Glade Brook and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
Why Space is the Next Big Thing (and Why You Should Take it Seriously)
So, why is space suddenly booming?
A few reasons stand out:
Economic Potential: The space economy is on track to hit $1 trillion by 2040. That’s not just lofty ambition—that’s satellites, space tourism, mining, and more driving real revenue.
Technological Breakthroughs: From AI to 3D printing, advancements on Earth are enabling more cost-effective and efficient space ventures.
Global Involvement: Countries like India and China are investing heavily, while smaller nations and private companies are joining the race. Space is no longer the domain of a privileged few.
Earthly Benefits: Satellite technology is tackling everything from climate monitoring to global connectivity. Space is solving problems right here at home.
Geopolitical Stakes: Nations are eyeing space for strategic dominance, making investment in space technology a matter of global significance.
The Time to Act is Now
If all this sounds a little futuristic, let me remind you: the future is already here. The cost of entry is falling, and the pace of innovation is accelerating. This intersection is precisely the time we should be considering investing in industries - space is no different.
The Artemis Program is putting humans back on the Moon. SpaceX is testing its Starship for Mars. Governments and private investors are pouring billions into space-focused ventures.
The message is clear: this isn’t a niche. It’s an unstoppable industry poised to reshape economies, geopolitics, and life as we know it.
The Future is Interstellar
Space isn’t just for dreamers anymore. It’s for investors, entrepreneurs, and forward-thinkers who recognise that the next big opportunities won’t be on Earth—they’ll be orbiting it.
So, whether you’re a seasoned investor or simply curious about what’s next, now’s the time to look beyond SpaceX, beyond the headlines, and into the vast, untapped potential of space.
Because if Space Race 2.0 is anything like the first, the winners won’t just go to space—they’ll redefine what’s possible for humanity.
Until next time!
Cheers,
Rich