Venus Aerospace secures $91M to scale AM high-thrust rocket engine
Venus Aerospace, Houston, Texas, USA, has secured $91 million in Series B financing following the successful flight test of its high-thrust rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) in May 2025.
The engine is built from additively manufactured components and standard engineering materials. According to the company, the design has been developed for scalable domestic production using established supply chains, reducing dependence on imported or constrained components.
The funding round was led by Houston-based Mercury Fund and included participation from Lockheed Martin Ventures, MESH, PEAK6, Draper Associates, Starboard Star Venture Capital, Green Sands Equity, Seraph Group, Trousdale Ventures and other new and existing investors.
“This financing marks an important step in moving Venus from breakthrough demonstration to scaled capability,” stated Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Venus Aerospace. “Our customers need propulsion systems that go farther, can be produced reliably and are built on supply chains they can trust. We are advancing that capability with American engineering and manufacturing talent to strengthen US defence, expand space access and support the future of high-speed flight.”
According to Venus, the investment will support the continued development and production of its RDRE propulsion system as it moves from flight demonstration towards deployment in defence and space applications.
The announcement follows the appointment of former NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy to the company’s board of directors.
Unlike conventional rocket engines, which rely on subsonic combustion, the RDRE employs a continuously rotating supersonic detonation wave within the combustion chamber. Venus Aerospace states that this architecture delivers around 15% greater efficiency than conventional rocket engines, enabling increased range, higher payload capacity and improved overall system performance.
The reusable, throttleable engine is intended for applications including munitions, space launch, orbital transfer vehicles and lunar landers. Rather than developing separate propulsion systems for individual programmes, Venus Aerospace is pursuing a common propulsion architecture adaptable across multiple mission types.
The company manufactures its engines in Texas and says demand for hypersonic and long-range propulsion technologies continues to increase as the USA and its allies seek to expand domestic defence and space capabilities.
“Lockheed Martin Ventures invests in technologies to help increase mission effectiveness,” stated Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Since our initial investment, Venus has progressed very quickly in its technology development. Our reinvestment in Venus recognises Venus’ accomplishments to date and focus on speed to manufacture, cost management and reduction of supply chain constraints. Venus is working effectively to position its propulsion system for the production scale required by defence programs.”
Andrew Duggleby, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Venus Aerospace, added, “This capital allows us to move from successful flight demonstration toward deployable propulsion systems. What differentiates our RDRE is not just that it works, but that it has flown at high thrust and was designed with scale, manufacturability and mission integration in mind.”
Venus Aerospace completed what it called the world’s first successful flight test of a high-thrust rotating detonation rocket engine in May 2025. According to the company, the milestone was achieved in just over four years using approximately $80 million in investment.
