Venus Aerospace Raises $91 Million in Series B
Houston startup Venus Aerospace closed a $91 million funding round led by Mercury Fund to scale its rocket engine technology.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Startups
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Venus Aerospace, a Houston-based startup, announced a $91 million Series B funding round on July 8, 2026. Mercury Fund led the round, with Lockheed Martin Ventures and several other investors participating.
Why it matters
The funding is intended to move the company's Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine from flight demonstration toward a scalable, manufacturable propulsion system. It supports the company's long-term goal of developing the Stargazer M4 reusable hypersonic passenger aircraft.
The Series B round totals $91 million, announced July 8, 2026, with Mercury Fund leading. The extraction does not disclose the valuation or the company's total capital raised to date.
The players
Venus Aerospace
A Houston-based startup developing rotating detonation rocket engines and the proposed Stargazer M4 hypersonic passenger aircraft.
Mercury Fund
A Houston-based venture capital firm that led the Series B funding round for Venus Aerospace.
Lockheed Martin Ventures
The venture investment arm of aerospace and defense contractor Lockheed Martin, which participated in the round.
The details
Venus Aerospace was founded in 2020 by Sassie Duggleby and Andrew Duggleby and completed a flight demonstration of its Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine in 2025. The company's long-term ambition is the Stargazer M4, a reusable hypersonic aircraft designed to cruise at Mach 4 using the RDRE for initial acceleration and a detonation-based ramjet after reaching supersonic speeds.
Timeline
2020: Venus Aerospace is founded by Sassie and Andrew Duggleby.
2025: The company completes a successful RDRE flight demonstration.
July 8, 2026: The $91 million Series B round is announced.
Early 2030s: The company has discussed conducting the first uncrewed Stargazer flight test.
Market Landscape
The round positions Venus Aerospace to pursue detonation-based propulsion as an alternative to conventional rocket and jet engines in the hypersonic segment. Backing from Lockheed Martin Ventures signals interest from established aerospace players in next-generation propulsion startups.
For the average reader, the funding does not change access to air travel in the near term, since the proposed Stargazer M4 is years from a first uncrewed test. Its near-term relevance lies in the potential for faster long-distance travel concepts discussed by the company, such as Los Angeles to Tokyo in about two hours.
The takeaway
Venus Aerospace's funding marks a step from demonstrating its rocket engine toward building a manufacturable system. Whether the Stargazer M4 concept proves viable will depend on engineering progress over the coming years.
Further reading
For more on Houston's emerging companies, see Startups coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Economic Times.
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