Starcloud
Starcloud builds data centers in space using solar energy and passive cooling to support large-scale AI training clusters, initially providing GPU compute to satellites.
- CEO / Founder
- Philip Johnston
- Team Size
- 11-50
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- $200.0M
- Latest Round
- Series A
- Key Investors
- Benchmark, EQT Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, In-Q-Tel, Y Combinator
Technology & Products
Key Products
Starcloud is building data centers in space to provide GPU compute to satellites and aims to deploy gigawatts of compute. They recently launched the first Nvidia H100 to space.
Technological Advantage
Leverages 24/7 solar energy and passive radiative cooling to eliminate the need for terrestrial power grids and water-cooling, while using proprietary 3D-printed satellite buses for rapid, low-cost deployment.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Bypasses terrestrial energy, cooling, and regulatory bottlenecks by utilizing 24/7 solar power and the natural heat sink of space to run high-density AI workloads at significantly lower costs.
How They Differentiate
Focuses on megawatt-scale AI training using high-TDP GPUs (NVIDIA H100/Blackwell) cooled via passive radiative systems and powered by massive 24/7 solar arrays, whereas competitors focus on smaller-scale edge computing or lunar storage.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
AI model developers (LLM labs), hyperscale cloud providers, defense and intelligence agencies, and space-based data generators.
Industry Verticals
["Artificial Intelligence", "Aerospace & Space Technology", "Cloud Infrastructure", "Defense & Intelligence", "Data Analytics"]
Competitors
Lonestar Data Holdings", "Axiom Space", "LEOcloud
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Achieved Unicorn status with a $1.1B valuation within 17 months of founding; scaled from stealth to orbital launch in under one year.
Major Milestones
["Graduated from Y Combinator Summer 2024 batch", "Successfully launched Starcloud-1, the first satellite to operate an NVIDIA H100 GPU in orbit (Nov 2025)", "Achieved $1.1B valuation following $170M Series A raise", "Established strategic partnership with Crusoe for space-to-ground cloud integration"]
Notable Customers
Crusoe Energy Systems", "US Department of Defense (via In-Q-Tel)", "NVIDIA (Inception Partner)