New Delhi: Bengaluru-based spacetech startup ‘The Guild’, earlier known as EtherealX, has raised $20.5 million in a Series A funding round, marking a major milestone in its journey to build a fully reusable launch vehicle.
The round was co-led by TDK Ventures and BIG Capital, with backing from investors such as Accel, Prosus, YourNest, Campus Fund, BlueHill, and Riceberg.
Following the funding, the company’s valuation has jumped sharply to $80.5 million, a significant increase from its previous level. The fresh capital will be used to speed up the development and flight readiness of its flagship rocket, Razor Crest Mk-1, which is being designed for missions to low Earth orbit and geosynchronous transfer orbit.
The company aims to reduce launch costs dramatically by building a rocket where both stages are designed to return safely and be reused. This approach goes beyond current systems that typically recover only the first stage, and could help lower the cost of accessing space on a global scale.
Commenting on the funding, Manu Nair, Co-Founder and CEO of The Guild, said, “Securing the backing of a strategic partner like TDK Ventures validates our vision to rearchitect today’s unipolar access to space into a truly multipolar frontier.”
As part of its progress, The Guild has developed two in-house rocket engines and is now preparing for extensive testing. It is also expanding its infrastructure in South India, with facilities in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to support engine testing, manufacturing, and flight qualification.
The company believes this investment will help it move faster toward making reusable space launch systems a practical reality.
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