Impulse Space

Reviewed active Updated Jun 3, 2026

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Location Redondo Beach, CA
Founded 2021
Latest Stage Series D
Total Raised $1B+

Investors

Matthew Ocko Series B (2024)
DCVC Series B (2024)

Founders

Tom Mueller Founder & CEO

About

Impulse Space is a Redondo Beach, California-based in-space mobility infrastructure company founded in September 2021 by Tom Mueller — the SpaceX propulsion-engineering veteran widely credited with developing the engines that propelled SpaceX to the top of the launch industry 123. President and COO Eric Romo and COO Barry Matsumori (ex-SpaceX, Virgin Orbit) round out the leadership team; the company builds maneuverable orbital transfer vehicles and in-space propulsion systems to move payloads between orbits and to extend satellite lifetimes 123. The $500M Series D announced June 2, 2026 was co-led by 137 Ventures and BANNER VC at a $4.26B post-money valuation, with participation from Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Linse Capital; the round brings total funding above $1B and will fund headcount expansion of up to 200 new employees, focused on engineering hires rather than AI automation 123.

Funding History

Date Round Amount Lead Co-investors
2026-06-02 Series D (at $4.26B post-money val) $500M 137 Ventures, BANNER VC Founders Fund, Lux Capital, Linse Capital 12345

What Investors Say

“Tom helped transform access to space at SpaceX, and now he’s tackling the industry’s next major challenge: in-space mobility.”

— Justin Fishner-Wolfson, Founder & Managing Partner, 137 Ventures 4

“As activity in orbit increases, in-space mobility becomes foundational.”

— Adam Ramada, BANNER VC 4

What Founders Say

“When it comes to solving engineering problems in the real world, deep learning models aren’t quite ready for prime time.”

— Eric Romo, President & COO, Impulse Space 1

“We’re building more than spacecraft: we’re building the economic and technical engine that will power humanity’s expansion into space.”

— Tom Mueller, Founder & CEO, Impulse Space 4

Sources


  1. TechCrunch, “Rocket engine startup Impulse raises $500 million to hire people, not AI,” June 2, 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/rocket-engine-startup-impulse-raises-500-million-to-hire-people-not-ai/

  2. GlobeNewsWire, “Impulse Space Raises $500M Series D to Build In-Space Mobility Infrastructure for the Space Economy,” June 2, 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/06/02/3305111/0/en/impulse-space-raises-500m-series-d-to-build-in-space-mobility-infrastructure-for-the-space-economy.html

  3. SpaceNews, “Impulse Space raises $500 million,” June 2, 2026. Accessed June 2026. https://spacenews.com/impulse-space-raises-500-million/

  4. Impulse Space press release, “Impulse Space Raises $500M Series D to Build In-Space Mobility Infrastructure for the Space Economy,” June 2, 2026. Accessed July 2026. https://www.impulsespace.com/updates/impulse-space-raises-500-million-dollar-series-d-to-build-in-space-mobility-infrastructure-for-the-space-economy

  5. Payload Space, “Impulse Space Closes $500M Series D,” June 2, 2026. Accessed July 2026. https://payloadspace.com/impulse-space-closes-500m-series-d/