HardwareBremen, GermanyFounded 2019· One of 1725 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse
Advanced spaceplanes featuring the MIRA demonstrator and the planned AURORA spaceplane, equipped with innovative 3D-printed aerospike engines.
CEO / Founder
Alexander Kopp
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$22.0M
Latest Round
Seed
Key Investors
Capnamic Ventures, Spacewalk VC, E2MC Ventures, Dienes Holding, Guiseppe Nardi, European Space Agency’s Boost Programme, Aero Challenge Group
Technology & Products
Key Products
MIRA demonstrators, AS-1 aerospike engines, AURORA light spaceplane, VEGA hypersonic platform, Heavy Spaceplane, Tanker & Aerial Refueling, Tactical Aircraft
Technological Advantage
Enhanced performance and efficiency via advanced engine design and additive manufacturing processes.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Innovative, efficient, and reusable space launch solutions powered by 3D-printed aerospike engines.
How They Differentiate
Focus on the development of 3D-printed aerospike engines and reusable spaceplanes, setting it apart from competitors.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Commercial and governmental entities needing advanced space launch services.
Industry Verticals
Space launch services, Aerospace engineering
Competitors
SpaceX, Stoke, Relativity Space
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
As of June 2026: 105 employees, €20M raised, 7 scaled demonstrators built/flown, 250 test flights, 49 linear aerospike hot-fire tests; Peenemünde second site (2025); BAAINBw VEGA hypersonic vehicle contract (Jan 2026).
Major Milestones
First in-flight ignition of linear aerospike AS-1 on MIRA II (29 Oct 2024), Seed top-up €5.4M bringing total to €12.4M (Jun 2025), Diehl Defence exclusive cooperation (Jul 2025), 250 fleet test flights (Nov 2025), BAAINBw contract for reusable hypersonic VEGA vehicle (Jan 2026), €20M raised / 105 employees / 7 demonstrators (Jun 2026)
Notable Customers
Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support
POLARIS Spaceplanes is pursuing a distinctive approach to space launch by combining reusable spaceplane designs with 3D-printed aerospike rocket engines. Founded in 2019 and based in Bremen, Germany, the company aims to offer more efficient and cost-effective launch solutions compared to traditional vertical rockets. Its core innovation centers on the AS-1 aerospike engine, which uses metal additive manufacturing to produce a complex geometry that maintains thrust efficiency across a wide range of altitudes.
The company's development roadmap includes the MIRA demonstrator, which has already completed rocket-powered roll tests and in-flight ignition of the AS-1 engine. Follow-on demonstrators MIRA II and MIRA III are expanding the test fleet. The planned AURORA spaceplane represents the production vehicle intended for commercial and governmental launch services. POLARIS has secured €12.4 million in funding from investors including Capnamic Ventures, Spacewalk VC, and E2MC Ventures, along with support from the European Space Agency's Boost Programme.
POLARIS targets both commercial satellite operators and government agencies needing responsive, reusable launch capabilities. The German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support is a named customer. The company competes with larger players like SpaceX, Relativity Space, and Stoke, but differentiates through its focus on aerospike engine technology and horizontal takeoff and landing spaceplane architectures. Key partnerships include the ESA Boost Programme and the Aero Challenge Group.
A critical open question is whether POLARIS can scale its 3D-printed aerospike engine to the performance and reliability required for orbital missions, and whether its funding runway is sufficient to reach operational capability against well-capitalized competitors. The company's technical progress with the MIRA demonstrator provides early validation, but the path from subscale testing to a production spaceplane remains long and capital-intensive.