Fundraising Fox
Explorer 1 Fund
Venture capitalVenice · Seed–Series A · 5 people tracked
Also known as Explorer 1
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Investment thesis
Explorer 1 Fund invests across all verticals of the emerging space economy. The team combines significant expertise from aerospace and defense organizations with experience in early-stage venture capital and institutional equities investing.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 6, 2026.
Team · 5 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directories
Phil Scully co-founded Explorer 1 in 2021, where he serves as a general partner. He previously worked as an equity analyst at DA Capital (Goldman Sachs Asset Management), in the investment group at The Capital Group Companies, and as an investment banking associate at Credit Suisse Securities. He holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA from Kenyon College.
Leon Alkalai co-founded Explorer 1 in 2021, where he handles sourcing, evaluating, and managing the investment portfolio. Before that he spent his career at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which he joined in 1989 after earning a PhD from UCLA, where he led programs including the New Millennium Program, the Center for Integrated Space Microsystems, and capture efforts for GRAIL and INSIGHT, and became a JPL Fellow and member of the International Academy of Astronautics. He co-founded Verrix LLC in 2014 and founded Mandala Space Ventures in 2021, and has advised startups and venture firms on space investing.
Founder mafia
2 people who came through Explorer 1 Fund went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 8 of 15 portfolio companiesSpace Tech ×7Deep Tech ×4Hardware ×4Defense Tech ×2Advanced Manufacturing ×1AI & Machine Learning ×1Biotech ×1Consumer ×1
HQs:United States×10
Investments · 15 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2023 · 42021 · 12016 · 16 dated
Adranos was a Purdue University spinout that manufactured solid rocket motors and a proprietary aluminum-lithium rocket fuel called ALITEC for missiles and space-launch vehicles.
Mchenry, US
Archibald Cox(Director)Ganson Evans(Director)Brandon C. Terry(Executive Officer, Director)Christopher D. Stoker(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsBalerion Space VenturesSica Ventures
Lunar Outpost builds robotic infrastructure, lunar rovers, and space resource systems to support human exploration and commerce on the Moon and other planetary bodies.
Deep TechHardwareRoboticsSpace TechGolden, US
Andrew Gemer(Executive Officer)inForrest Meyen(Co-Founder & CSO)inJulian Cyrus(Co-Founder & COO)inJustin Cyrus(Founder)inAJ Gemer(Co-Founder & CTO)in
BoardDaniel Kleinmann(Director)in
Co-investorsAurelia FoundryBalerion Space VenturesBeyond Earth VenturesEniac VenturesIndustrious VenturesMana Ventures+6 more
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Peggy Choi(Founder)
Co-investorsPear VCCuriosity VCFlucas VenturesUnshackled VenturesWavemaker Partners
Lynk Global provides direct-to-device satellite connectivity to mobile phones without requiring ground infrastructure.
Space TechChevy Chase, US
Tyghe Speidel(Co-Founder and CTO)in
Co-investorsBalerion Space VenturesBlazar Ventures, LLCFlucas VenturesGaingelsOne Way VenturesRRE Ventures+5 more
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Radian Aerospace is developing fully reusable spaceflight vehicles, including Radian One, a single-stage-to-orbit mission platform for routine access to Low Earth Orbit, and R3V, a reusable reentry capsule for hypersonic testing and rocket cargo.
Deep TechHardwareSpace TechRenton, US
Curtis Gifford(Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, & Co-Founder)inRichard Humphrey(Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder)inLivingston Holder(Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder)inJeff Feige(Founder)inLivingston L. Holder, Jr.(Founder)
Co-investorsAdvection Growth CapitalAlumni VenturesBalerion Space VenturesEvolution VC PartnersFine Structures VenturesGaingels+11 more
Space tourism company offering carbon-neutral journeys aboard Spaceship Neptune.
Jane Poynter(Founder)in
Co-investorsBalerion Space VenturesBase Venture Management, Inc.GaingelsGamegroove CapitalGreen Sands EquityInvariantes Fund+4 more
Stoke Space develops fully reusable rockets for space transportation and mobility services.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareSpace TechSeattle, US
Andy Lapsa(Founder)inTom Feldman(Founder)inKelly Hennig(Executive Officer)inSula Bondaruk(Recruiter)Marla Nielsen(Recruiting Coordinator)Chantal Penton(Recruiter)
Co-investorsAcequia Capital (AceCap)AF WPartnersATEL VenturesAurelia FoundryBalerion Space VenturesBeyond Capital+55 more
Ursa Major develops flight-proven aerospace and defense systems, including hypersonic engines, solid rocket motors, and space mobility solutions for military and defense applications.
Defense TechHardwareSpace TechBerthoud, US
Joe Laurienti(Founder)inNick Doucette(Co-Founder & Vice President, Strategic Operations)inDan Jablonsky(CEO)inChris Spagnoletti(Chief Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsAlpha EdisonAtento CapitalBalerion Space VenturesBrave CapitalCrosscourt VenturesEclipse Ventures+10 more
Ursa Major makes clean skincare products with forest-infused formulas free of harsh chemicals.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceWellness & FitnessVermont, US
Oliver Sweatman(Executive Officer, Director)inEmily Doyle(Founder)inRobert Foregger(Director)Patrick Finn(Director)Michael Stone(Director)Elizabeth Stewart(Director)
Co-investorsPath VenturesVermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET)Eclipse
Colorado aerospace and defense manufacturer of rocket engines, solid rocket motors, hypersonic and in-space propulsion systems.
Berthoud, US
Joseph A. Laurienti, Jr.(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Nicholas Doucette(Executive Officer)David Gregory(Executive Officer)
BoardStewart Alsop(Director)in
Co-investorsAlsop Louie PartnersAlumni VenturesDolby Family VenturesRTX VenturesAlpha EdisonBlackRock+3 more
Ursa Space offers a custom geospatial monitoring service that selects sensors, schedules satellite data collection, and runs SAR-based analysis to deliver verified intelligence reports, alerts, and forecasts.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDefense TechSpace TechIthaca, US
Adam Maher(Executive Officer, Director)inJulie Baker(Executive Officer, Director)inMark Snell(Executive Officer)inNicole Robinson(Executive Officer)Tom Edwards(Executive Officer)
BoardDaniel Freeman(Director)
Co-investorsGaingelsHemisphere Ventures LLCNew Enterprise Associates (NEA)Paladin Capital GroupRazor's Edge VenturesRRE Ventures+2 more
Varda industrializes low Earth orbit by manufacturing pharmaceuticals and other specialized products in space, then returning them to Earth via reusable reentry capsules.
BiotechDeep TechSpace TechEl Segundo, US
Will Bruey(Founder)inDelian Asparouhov(Founder)inDaniel Marshall(Founder)Trae Stephens(Director)Josh Wolfe(Director)
Co-investorsAlso CapitalCaffeinated CapitalFounders FundGeneral CatalystKhosla VenturesLux Capital+37 more
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Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Continuum SpaceContinuum Space SystemsHedron
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Explorer 1 Fund made?
- Explorer 1 Fund has 15 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited.
- What stage does Explorer 1 Fund invest at?
- Explorer 1 Fund invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Explorer 1 Fund focus on?
- Explorer 1 Fund focuses on Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, Defense Tech, Hardware, Mobility & Transportation, Space Tech.
- Where is Explorer 1 Fund located?
- Explorer 1 Fund is headquartered in Venice, US.
- Does Explorer 1 Fund lead rounds?
- Explorer 1 Fund typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
from their channelExplorer 1 Presents: Space 2021 Year End Review
Explorer 1 Fund
Explorer 1 Presents: Russian ASAT Missile Test Explanation
Explorer 1 Fund
Explorer 1 Presents: IAC 2021 Space Recap
Explorer 1 Fund
Explorer 1 Presents Space Debris
Explorer 1 Fund
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