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Starfish Space
Tukwila, US · Founded 2019 · Delaware corporation · 117 employees on LinkedIn · 31 known investors
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Starfish Space develops Otter, an autonomous satellite servicing vehicle that uses electric propulsion to dock with satellites for life extension and disposal. The company is working to make satellite servicing in orbit more affordable and is validating its docking technology in low Earth orbit.
Also known as Starfish
Founders & leadership
Starfish Space was founded in 2019 by Trevor Bennett and Austin Link.
Board
Investors · 31
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Also in the syndicate · 1
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$162.6M disclosed across 4 rounds · 2021–2026
▶$111.7MraisedApr 2026 · 21 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Letitia LongDirector
- Austin LinkExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Trevor BennettExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Morgan BellerDirector
- Chris MoralesDirector
- Steven LayneDirector
- Offering amount
- $115M
- Amount sold
- $111.7M
- First sale
- Mar 2026
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$29.5MraisedNov 2024 · 15 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Morgan BellerDirector
- Peter OrtezDirector
- Trevor BennettExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Austin LinkExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Letitia LongDirector
- Offering amount
- $34.8M
- Amount sold
- $29.5M
- First sale
- Sep 2024
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2019
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$13.4MraisedMar 2023 · 6 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Austin LinkExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Morgan BellerDirector
- Trevor BennettExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Offering amount
- $15M
- Amount sold
- $13.4M
- First sale
- Mar 2023
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2019
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$7.9MraisedOct 2021 · 16 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Morgan BellerDirector
- Austin LinkExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Trevor BennettExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
- Offering amount
- $7.9M
- Amount sold
- $7.9M
- First sale
- Sep 2021
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2019
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Starfish Space develops Otter, an autonomous satellite servicing vehicle designed to rendezvous with and dock to other spacecraft on orbit. The company positions satellite servicing as increasingly necessary as the population of satellites in orbit grows, with the aim of maximizing the operational value of assets already in space. Otter's initial mission set is satellite life extension and disposal.
Otter relies exclusively on electric propulsion and is presented by the company as roughly ten times smaller and materially less expensive than alternative servicing vehicles. Starfish frames its near-term work around on-orbit validation of the underlying rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) capability rather than around a fully fielded service.
Business model
Starfish Space offers satellite servicing performed on orbit by its Otter vehicles, with first assignments in satellite life extension and disposal for operators of existing satellites.
Traction
The company states it is actively validating its technology on orbit. Its Otter Pup 2 mission, slated to launch in summer 2025, is intended to conduct rendezvous, proximity operations and docking with another spacecraft in low Earth orbit, which the company describes as the first commercial satellite docking in LEO.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market
Market position
Starfish Space competes in the emerging satellite servicing segment, differentiating on vehicle size and cost relative to existing servicing vehicles.
Starfish emphasizes a servicing vehicle that is about 10x smaller and significantly less expensive than alternatives, and that uses electric propulsion exclusively for docking operations, in support of making servicing both affordable and available.
Technology
The core technology is an autonomous satellite servicing vehicle, Otter, which uses only electric propulsion to maneuver and dock with client satellites. Central to the system is autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) capability, which the company is validating through flight demonstrations in low Earth orbit. Otter is described as approximately 10x smaller than alternative servicing vehicles.
Go-to-market
Operators of satellites already on orbit that seek to extend the operational life of those assets or to dispose of them.
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 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
2 people who came through Starfish Space went on to found or lead other companies.
Related companies · 4
Companies working in the same space as Starfish Space.
Non-dilutive funding · 14 SBIR/STTR awards
Federal grants — no equity taken| Agency | Phase | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase II | 2023 | $1.7M |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase II | 2023 | $1.7M |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase II | 2023 | $1.7M |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase IISTTR | 2023 | $1.5M |
| NASA | Phase II | 2023 | $849.9K |
| NASA | Phase I | 2023 | $150K |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase II | 2022 | $1.7M |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase II | 2022 | $750K |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase ISTTR | 2022 | $250K |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase ISTTR | 2022 | $250K |
| NASA | Phase I | 2022 | $150K |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase I | 2022 | $50K |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase I | 2021 | $50K |
| U.S. Air ForceAir Force | Phase I | 2021 | $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 · 1
launches, deals, and filingsStarfish Space's Otter Pup 2 mission, with launch stated for summer 2025, aims to perform rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) with another spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureIn the news
▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- Starfish Spacestarfishspace.com · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Starfish Space do?
- Starfish Space builds Otter, a small electric-propulsion satellite servicing vehicle for docking, life extension and disposal.
- Who founded Starfish Space?
- Starfish Space was founded by Trevor Bennett, Austin Link in 2019.
- Who are Starfish Space's investors?
- Starfish Space's investors include ACTIVATE CAPITAL PARTNERS, Alumni Ventures, Booz Allen Ventures, Carbon, Denver Ventures, Hypothesis, Industrious Ventures, MaC Venture Capital and 22 more.
- How much funding has Starfish Space raised?
- Starfish Space has disclosed $162.6M raised across 4 rounds.
- Where is Starfish Space headquartered?
- Starfish Space is headquartered in Tukwila, US.