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Relativity Space
Unicorn · $4.2BYC W16Los Angeles, US · Founded 2016 · Delaware corporation · 2,500 employees · Hiring · 76 known investors
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Relativity Space develops Terran R, a reusable medium-to-heavy-lift rocket designed for efficiency and scalability, serving government entities, telecommunications companies, and commercial customers for space access missions. The company focuses on making space exploration more accessible, reliable, and sustainable.
Also known as Relativity · Relativity Space, Relativity · Relativity Space Inc.
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W16)
Relativity Space was founded in 2016 by Tim Ellis and Jordan Noone.
Investors · 76
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Also in the syndicate · 7
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$1.3B disclosed across 6 of 7 rounds · 2016–2021
▶$650MraisedSep 2021 · 63 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Jory BellDirector
- Noah KnaufDirector
- Timothy EllisExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Jay ZaveriDirector
- Offering amount
- $650M
- Amount sold
- $650M
- Sales commissions
- $5.5M
- Placement agents
- Allen & Co.
- First sale
- May 2021
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$500MraisedDec 2020 · 50 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Jay ZaveriDirector
- Timothy EllisExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Jory BellDirector
- Noah KnaufDirector
- Offering amount
- $500M
- Amount sold
- $500M
- Sales commissions
- $10.2M
- Placement agents
- Allen & Co.
- First sale
- Nov 2020
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2015
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$132.9MraisedOct 2019 · 40 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Jordan NooneExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Jay ZaveriDirector
- Noah KnaufDirector
- Timothy EllisExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Jory BellDirector
- Offering amount
- $140M
- Amount sold
- $132.9M
- First sale
- Sep 2019
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2015
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$28.6MraisedMar 2018 · 31 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Jory BellDirector
- Arjun SethiDirector
- Jordan NooneExecutive Officer, Director
- Timothy EllisExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $35M
- Amount sold
- $28.6M
- First sale
- Mar 2018
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2015
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$8.4MraisedJul 2016 · 25 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Timothy A. EllisExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Jordan NooneExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Offering amount
- $9.6M
- Amount sold
- $8.4M
- First sale
- Jul 2016
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2015
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$1.1MraisedMay 2016 · 17 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Jordan NooneExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Timothy A. EllisExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Offering amount
- $2M
- Amount sold
- $1.1M
- First sale
- Mar 2016
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2015
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Valuation · disclosed
Disclosed eventsSource: SEC prospectus filings, and round valuations the company or its investors disclosed — follow each entry's link for the claim.
The YC application· Winter 2016 batch
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Relativity Space Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturing and commercial spaceflight company headquartered in Long Beach, California, developing launch vehicles, rocket engines and associated manufacturing technologies for orbital launch services [3]. Its central approach combines additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing), artificial intelligence, proprietary software and autonomous robotics to reduce part count and compress build times; the company has said it can produce a rocket with roughly 100x fewer parts in under 60 days and has built what it describes as the world's largest metal 3D printers, branded Stargate [4][5]. Products listed include the Aeon 1 engine, the retired Terran 1 small-lift vehicle, and Terran R [3].
The company's first vehicle, Terran 1, was a two-stage, 110-foot (33.5 m) expendable rocket burning liquid methane and liquid oxygen, capable of up to 1,250 kg to low-inclination low Earth orbit and 900 kg to sun-synchronous orbit, with a three-meter payload fairing and a stated dedicated mission price of $12 million [4][6][7]. Terran 1 flew once, on March 22-23, 2023, from Cape Canaveral; it passed max-q and completed stage separation but an anomaly on the second stage prevented it from reaching orbit [3][4]. Relativity retired Terran 1 in April 2023 to focus on Terran R [3].
Terran R is a partially reusable medium-to-heavy-lift vehicle intended to serve satellite constellation and commercial launch markets. As currently marketed, it is quoted at 23,500 kg to LEO with downrange landing, 5,500 kg to GTO with downrange landing, and 33,500 kg to LEO in expendable configuration [0][2]. Earlier company material described a fully reusable, 216-foot, 16-foot-diameter vehicle with a 5 m fairing, seven Aeon R engines of 302,000 lb thrust each and an Aeon 1 vacuum upper-stage engine, capable of 20,000 kg to LEO [5]; a 2023 redesign moved to first-stage-only reuse, a mix of printed and conventionally manufactured parts, 13 Aeon R first-stage engines and one Aeon Vac second-stage engine, with a goal of more than 20 reusable flights per booster [7]. As of March 2025 the company targeted a first Terran R launch in late 2026 [3].
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Founder mafia
The Relativity Space mafia →11 people who came through Relativity Space went on to found or lead other companies.
Related companies · 10
Companies working in the same space as Relativity Space.
Non-dilutive funding · 2 SBIR/STTR awards
Federal grants — no equity taken| Agency | Phase | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASA | Phase I | 2020 | $115.3K |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase I | 2020 | $50K |
Source: SBIR.gov award data (U.S. Small Business Administration). SBIR/STTR awards are competitive federal R&D grants and contracts — non-dilutive capital alongside any venture rounds above.
Timeline · 10
launches, deals, and filingsFormer Google CEO Eric Schmidt became CEO of Relativity Space, replacing co-founder Tim Ellis and taking a controlling interest. At the time the company had a Terran R contract backlog of over $2.9 billion.
Agreement to lease the A-2 test stand for vertical stage testing of Terran R; upgrades increase thrust capacity from 650,000 lb to over 3.3 million lb.
Relativity announced it would retire Terran 1 to concentrate on the larger, partially reusable Terran R launch system; Terran R was also redesigned for first-stage-only reuse to meet market demand.
After scrubs on March 8 and March 11, 2023, Terran 1 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying no payload. It passed max-q and completed stage separation, but an anomaly during the second-stage burn prevented it from reaching orbit. Space.com dates the liftoff to March 22, 2023.
Equity round at a $4.2 billion valuation bringing total funding to $1.335 billion, intended to scale the Terran R program and long-term infrastructure development.
$650M source ↗
A 93,000 m2 (1,000,000 sq ft) factory was announced in 2021; Relativity took over the former Boeing C-17 production plant in 2022 to begin Terran R production.
Series D round valuing the company at more than $2 billion (calculated $2.3 billion), with new investors Fidelity, Baillie Gifford, ICONIQ Capital, General Catalyst, XN, Senator Investment Group and Elad Gil.
$500M source ↗
Announced an 11,000 m2 (120,000 sq ft) headquarters and factory in Long Beach, California, housing additive manufacturing and R&D facilities; Terran 1 was manufactured there.
Relativity expanded its Stennis Space Center work to include exclusive use of 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft) within Building 9101; the company planned to create 200 jobs and invest $59 million in Mississippi over a nine-year lease with a 10-year extension option.
$59M source ↗
Relativity signed a 20-year lease at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi, to test engine components and eventually conduct full-scale testing of integrated rocket engines.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 2
corporate structureIn the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Relativity Spacerelativityspace.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Relativity Space do?
- US aerospace manufacturer building Terran R, a reusable medium-to-heavy-lift rocket, using large-scale metal 3D printing.
- Who founded Relativity Space?
- Relativity Space was founded by Tim Ellis, Jordan Noone in 2016.
- Who are Relativity Space's investors?
- Relativity Space's investors include Aidenlair Capital, ARA NEA Ventures (Brand: Dmz.Xyz), Aurum Venture Partners, Balerion Space Ventures, Baruch Future Ventures, Bold Capital Partners, Coatue Management, Das & Co. and 61 more.
- How much funding has Relativity Space raised?
- Relativity Space has disclosed $1.3B raised across 6 of its 7 known rounds.
- Where is Relativity Space headquartered?
- Relativity Space is headquartered in Los Angeles, US.