Varda Secures $187M in Series C Funding to Revolutionize Space Medicine Manufacturing
Deal News | Jul 10, 2025 | Digitalis Ventures LLC
Varda Space Industries, a life sciences company leveraging microgravity, announced a $187 million Series C funding round led by Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, with participation from multiple other investors. This brings Varda's total funding to $329 million. The firm, based in El Segundo, is pioneering the manufacture of pharmaceuticals in space, utilizing the unique crystallization properties of microgravity to create new drug formulations. Varda's hyperspace missions have demonstrated reliable orbital-reentry capabilities, gaining interest from the Department of Defense. With this fresh capital, Varda plans to expand its pharmaceutical labs both terrestrially and in low Earth orbit, and to increase flight cadence to establish a robust orbital economy. Varda is positioning itself as a leader in in-space drug manufacturing, viewed as a critical step towards an expansive orbital economy.
Sectors
- Space Technology
- Pharmaceuticals
- Defense and Aerospace
Geography
- United States – Varda Space Industries is headquartered in El Segundo, California, with additional offices in Washington, D.C. and Huntsville, Alabama, indicating its operational focus within the United States.
Industry
- Space Technology – Varda Space Industries is innovating within the space technology sector by manufacturing pharmaceuticals in a microgravity environment and testing hypersonic reentry technologies.
- Pharmaceuticals – Varda is focusing on drug manufacturing in microgravity, which pertains to the pharmaceuticals sector, a major component of its business model and expansion strategy.
- Defense and Aerospace – Varda's hypersonic testbed offers services to government partners for advanced technology development, relevant to the defense and aerospace industry.
Financials
- $187 million – The amount raised in Varda's Series C funding round.
- $329 million – The total capital raised by Varda Space Industries to date.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varda Space Industries | Target Company | Company | A space-based life sciences company focused on manufacturing pharmaceuticals in microgravity and advancing hypersonic reentry technologies. |
| Natural Capital | Lead Investor | Company | An investment firm leading Varda's Series C funding round. |
| Shrug Capital | Co-Investor | Company | Participated as a co-investor in Varda's Series C funding round. |
| Founders Fund | Investor | Company | Venture capital firm participating in Varda's Series C funding. |
| Peter Thiel | Investor | Person | Entrepreneur and investor participating in the Series C funding for Varda. |
| Khosla Ventures | Investor | Company | Investment firm participating in Varda's Series C funding. |
| Caffeinated Capital | Investor | Company | Venture capital firm participating in Series C. |
| Lux Capital | Investor | Company | Investment firm participating in Varda's Series C funding. |
| Also Capital | Investor | Company | Participating in Varda's Series C funding round. |
| Will Bruey | CEO | Person | Chief Executive Officer of Varda Space Industries. |
| Adrian Radocea | Chief Science Officer | Person | Chief Science Officer at Varda Space Industries. |
| Ravi Tanuku | General Partner at Natural Capital | Person | General Partner at Natural Capital and a board member of Varda Space Industries. |