Pale Blue
Kashiwa, JP · Founded 2020 · 28 employees on LinkedIn · 6 known investors
Pale Blue develops and manufactures water-based propulsion systems for small satellites, serving satellite integrators and operators globally. The company aims to enable growth in the space industry by providing essential in-space mobility solutions.
Founders & leadership
Pale Blue was founded in 2020 by Jun Asakawa, Kazuya Yaginuma, and Hiro Koizumi.
JA
Jun AsakawaRepresentative Director
KY
Kazuya YaginumainCo-Founder
HK
Hiro KoizumiinCo-founder · 取締役2020–2025Hiroyuki Koizumi is an Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo, where he directs the Space Propulsion Laboratory and leads development of micro-propulsion systems for microsatellites (including Hodoyoshi-4, PROCYON, AQT-D, and EQUULEUS); he holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Keio University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Tokyo. Previously an Assistant Professor at JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (2007–2011), where he worked on the Hayabusa-1 mission, he co-founded space-propulsion startup Pale Blue Inc. and serves as its CTO.
Investors · 6
aSTARTTokyo
Global BrainTokyo · $100K – $184M
Shizuoka Capital$790K – $241M
Itochu Technology VenturesreportedTokyo · $4M – $213M
Also in the syndicate · 2
Incubate FundleadMitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements- Undisclosed amountSeries CAug 2025 · 2 sourcesSource ↗
- Undisclosed amountSeries BOct 2023
Incubate Fund (lead), Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
In the news
Frequently asked questions
- What does Pale Blue do?
- Pale Blue develops and manufactures water-based propulsion systems for small satellites, serving satellite integrators and operators globally. The company aims to enable growth in the space industry by providing essential in-space mobility solutions.
- Who founded Pale Blue?
- Pale Blue was founded by Jun Asakawa, Kazuya Yaginuma, Hiro Koizumi in 2020.
- Who are Pale Blue's investors?
- Pale Blue's investors include aSTART, Global Brain, Shizuoka Capital, Itochu Technology Ventures.
- Where is Pale Blue headquartered?
- Pale Blue is headquartered in Kashiwa, JP.