The Exploration Company logo — We build space vehicles for humanity.

The Exploration Company

We build space vehicles for humanity.

Founded 2021 Germany Gauting, Germany 535 employees Series C Total: $645.30M Manufacturing, Space +1

General Information

Company Name The Exploration Company
Founded Year 2021
Location Germany Gauting, Germany
Employees 535
Industries Manufacturing, Space, Transportation
Funding Stage Series C
Business Model B2B, D2C
Revenue Model Service Fee, Usage Based, Product Sales
Hiring 28 roles posted in the month to 1 Oct 2026
Social

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Recorded by Bounce Watch from public sources. Every entry below carries the date we observed it, and when we have not looked recently the page says so rather than leaving silence to imply nothing happened.

Actively Hiring Sep 29, 2026

Hiring for 30 positions in the last 30 days.

Homepage Update

Significant changes detected on company website (38.7% content change).

In The News Sep 14, 2026

Featured on Finance-magazin.de: Finanzierungen: Berlin Energie, The Exploration Company, Deutsche Börse

Raising Funds Sep 14, 2026

The Exploration Company has announced its intention to raise a fundraising round targeting $450 million.

In The News Sep 11, 2026

Featured on Eu-startups: After €387 million raise, The Exploration Company wins ESA’s “ALADDIN” cargo cap...

In The News Sep 11, 2026

Featured on Thenextweb: Macron’s Paris space summit ends with €20bn in commitments and 51 signed deals

+2 more signals in last 30 days

AI Insight

Bounce Watch AI
3 weeks ago

The Exploration Company recently closed a massive $450M Series C funding round, immediately followed by securing a monumental €760M ESA contract for its Nyx cargo capsule. This significant public sector validation, coupled with existing commercial pre-bookings and a deal with Arianespace, firmly positions TEC as a leader in European reusable space transportation. These developments indicate a rapid acceleration in product development and operational scaling, underscored by current extensive hiring efforts.

Signal Types
Funding Contract Win Partnership Hiring Product Development
Strategic Labels
European Space Leadership Commercial Validation Rapid Scaling
Next Move: Scaling
·
Impact: 10/10
·
Ideal For: Late-Stage Deep Tech Investors — Aerospace

About The Exploration Company

The Exploration Company builds space vehicles for humanity and is based in Gauting, Germany. It operates in the manufacturing, space, and transportation industries.

Founded in 2021, the company provides space vehicle manufacturing, rocket engine development, and space transportation services. Its target customers include space agencies, aerospace companies, scientific research organizations, and governments investing in space technology. Operating on a B2B and D2C business model, The Exploration Company generates revenue through service fees, usage-based charges, and product sales.

Business keywords: space vehicles, modular spaceships, reusable spaceships, space exploration, Nyx spaceship, space stations, Earth orbit, Moon missions, orbital refueling, green propellants, open-source software, space technology, aerospace manufacturing, space operations

Services & Products

space vehicle manufacturing
rocket engine development
space transportation services

Target Customers

space agencies aerospace companies scientific research organizations governments investing in space technology

Funding Rounds & Investors (7)

View All
Funding Stage Amount Investors Lead Investors Date
Series C $450.00M 7
Bessemer Venture Partners, Cherry Ventures +5
01 Sep 2026
Series B €150.00M 21
Bessemer Venture Partners, Cherry Ventures +19
01 Nov 2024
Early VC Undisclosed 10
Cherry Ventures, EQT Ventures +8
01 Feb 2024
Convertible Note Undisclosed 1
FJ Labs
01 Sep 2023
Series A €40.00M 14
Cherry Ventures, EQT Ventures +12
01 Feb 2023
Seed $5.30M 2
Initiative Capital, EUSPA - EU Agency for the Space Programme
01 Jan 2022
Support Program Undisclosed 1
Varia Ventures
01 Jan 2021

The Exploration Company Alternatives & Competitors

View All Alternatives
The Exploration Company vs
Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace United States

Enabling our world to launch, land, and orbit in space. Anytime. Anywhere.

Public
1033 employees
Space, Telecom
The Exploration Company vs
Blue Origin
Blue Origin United States

For the Benefit of Earth

Not Funded/Unknown
12831 employees
Manufacturing, Privacy and Security
The Exploration Company vs
Impulse Space
Impulse Space United States

Accelerating our future beyond Earth. In-space mobility for LEO, GEO, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Series D
334 employees
Manufacturing, Space

FAQ About The Exploration Company

We build space vehicles for humanity.
The Exploration Company was founded in 2021.
The Exploration Company is headquartered in Gauting, Germany.
The Exploration Company operates in Manufacturing, Space and Transportation. Its work centres on space vehicles, modular spaceships, reusable spaceships and space exploration. Its customers include space agencies, aerospace companies and scientific research organizations.
The Exploration Company has a B2B and D2C business model. Its revenue comes from Service Fee, Usage Based and Product Sales.
The Exploration Company has approximately 535 employees.
The Exploration Company has completed 7 funding rounds, raising a total of $645.30M. The latest funding stage is Series C.
The Exploration Company offers: space vehicle manufacturing, rocket engine development, space transportation services.
Top alternatives and competitors to The Exploration Company include Firefly Aerospace, Blue Origin, Impulse Space, SpaceX, Axiom Space. These companies operate in related industries and serve comparable markets. You can compare them side by side on Bounce Watch.
The Exploration Company and Firefly Aerospace are both companies in similar industries. Compare their funding, team size, growth signals, and market position on Bounce Watch to see which one fits your needs.

Source: BounceWatch company record for The Exploration Company, https://bouncewatch.com/company/the-exploration-company, updated 1 October 2026. When citing, please name BounceWatch and link this page.

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