Top Aerospace Startups in 2026

AstroForge is an asteroid mining company that extracts gold and other minerals from asteroid. Instead of bringing back the entire asteroid, break it up, refine it, and return only what’s valuable.

Voyager Technologies is a defense and space technology company that develops solutions for national security and commercial space missions. The company offers products and services in areas such as solid propulsion systems, signals intelligence, communications technologies, and guidance, navigation, and control systems. In the space sector, Voyager is involved in space infrastructure projects, including the development of the Bishop Airlock and the Starlab commercial space station, in collaboration with partners like Airbus and Mitsubishi. Voyager also provides satellite launch services, mission management, and research payload support. Through acquisitions of companies such as Altius Space Machines, Nanoracks, and Zin Technologies, Voyager has expanded its capabilities in both defense and space domains. The company's offerings cater to government agencies, commercial enterprises, and research institutions involved in space exploration and national defense.

Zaden Technologies is a technology company focused on delivering software engineering services to defense & space systems. Our technical expertise is in intelligent software design and development: we persistently aim to deliver easily maintainable and extensible software while obsessing over product development; we passionately strive to provide the most valuable products for our customers, specializing in cloud-based computing solutions; we humbly remain laser-focused on leading the industry in DevSecOps development at a rapid yet agile pace. We offer industry-leading software development and technology products utilizing advanced methodologies such as Artificial Intelligence, DevSecOps, Agile product development, Active system monitoring, and Cloud Computing. We bring our advanced software development capabilities to the Defense and Space industries so that information systems can be quickly and affordably deployed to the field without compromising safety, reliability, or quality.

Apex designs and manufactures small satellites tailored for various space missions. The company focuses on streamlining satellite production by integrating modular hardware and standardized software systems. Apex offers platforms that support Earth observation, communications, and scientific research applications. Its approach emphasizes scalable manufacturing processes to meet the growing demand for satellite deployment. Apex collaborates with clients to customize satellite configurations based on mission-specific requirements.

Palski & Associates provides systems engineering and technical assistance from satellite engineers. They offer satellite systems engineering, integration, and testing services.

Since our foundation 10 years ago as LaserMotive, PowerLight has set three world records for beaming power over light, won two NASA government awards and advanced five generations of technology systems. We are the first and only team to develop and viable technology platform that demonstrated transfer of 400 watts over 1 kilometer. Since then we have received validation from industry-leading companies and government labs, and we are globally recognized.

Slingshot Aerospace, Inc. builds space simulation and analytics products that help worldwide commercial and government organizations accelerate space sustainability to create a safer, more connected world. The company synthesizes data from multiple trusted sources, including the newly acquired global sensor network and the Seradata SpaceTrak database, to bring the space domain into the digital environment. With these insights, Slingshot Aerospace customers are empowered to confidently make decisions and achieve clarity in the complexity of the space domain. Slingshot Aerospace was launched in 2017 and maintains offices in Austin, TX, El Segundo, CA, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, CO.

Xplore is a dual-use commercial space company listed on Silicon Valley Defense Group's NatSec 100 list. Xplore provides unique remote sensing data products to our customers from our satellite constellation. The XCRAFT satellites carry advanced optical, video, hyperspectral and radio frequency sensors to produce valuable data products. Edge computing capability hosted on the XCRAFT satellite platform enables the creation of data fusion products and insights on-orbit, reducing latency and data transmission costs.

SKYMATE™ is an innovative, efficient reliable, easy to use, robust and safe UAV autopilot for industrial and commercial applications. Enabling autonomous mission for advanced commercial aircraft, this system allows you to operate in full control of your drones to enhance aerial data gathering solutions by fostering the integration of high-end applications based on your business model. Security, flexibility and support are our values.

Swift Solar is a U.S.-based startup developing lightweight and flexible solar panels that are both cheaper and more efficient than conventional panels.