20 January 2026 In 2018, the Australian launch rocket and satellite manufacturing company Gilmour Space Technologies announced its involvement $146 million in a Series E funding round. The round was co-led by the Australian Government's National Reconstruction Fund and superannuation fund Hostplus with participation from several other investors.
Gilmour Space stated, that this funding makes it Australia's first 'unicorn' space technology company (term, which is used for private companies worth more than $1 billion). It last raised funds in February 2024 year in the Series D round for the amount 55 million Australian dollars. This investment reflects the strong confidence investors have in Gilmour Space and in Australia's ability to build and operate critical space infrastructure on its own soil. The raised funds are planned to be used to continue development and testing of its Eris small launch vehicle, which made its first launch in July 2025 year, but already for 14 seconds after the start it crashed due to engine failure. At the same time, investments will be aimed at scaling up the production of launch rockets and satellites, as well as for staff expansion (today the company has more than 220 employees).
The chief executive director of the fund said, that Australia's size and geographic location in the Southern Hemisphere provide natural advantages for access to space, and the success of Gilmour Space will allow the country to take advantage of growing global demand for space launch services and satellites.
Source: https://spacenews.com