How many investments has Explorer 1 Fund made?

Explorer 1 Fund has 14 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.

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.

Explorer 1 Fund

Venture capital

Venice · 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.

Invests inData & Infrastructure Deep Tech Defense Tech Hardware Mobility & Transportation Space Tech Los Angeles United States Venice

Source: firm website, verified Aug 6, 2026.

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Stage

Seed–Series A

Venice, CA, US

Leads rounds

Follows

Instruments

Equity

Tracked investments

Unicorns

Acquisitions

Team · 5 people

from the firm's website & curated & public directories

Philip Scully· General Partner

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.

Phil Scully· Partner· Dallas, Texas, United Statesin

p.scully@balerionspace.com

Leon Alkalai· General Partner· Los Angeles, Californiain 𝕏

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.

Daniel Kleinmann· Principal· Miami, Florida, United Statesin 𝕏

Daniel Kleinmann is Founder and General Partner at Balerion Space Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on space technologies.

d.kleinmann@balerionspace.com

Daniel Wallman· Principal· Los Angeles, California

Founder mafia

2 people who came through Explorer 1 Fund went on to found or lead other companies.

Leon AlkalaiCo-founderFounded Sophia Space +1 Daniel KleinmannPrincipalFounded Balerion Space Ventures

What they invest in

from 8 of 14 portfolio companies

Space Tech ×7Deep Tech ×4Hardware ×4Defense Tech ×2Advanced Manufacturing ×1AI & Machine Learning ×1Biotech ×1Consumer ×1

HQs:United States×10

Investments · 14 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2023 · 4 2021 · 1 2016 · 16 dated

Adranosadranos.comAcquired

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 Ventures Sica Ventures

Lunar Outpostlunaroutpost.com in 𝕏

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)in Forrest Meyen(Co-Founder & CSO)inJulian Cyrus(Co-Founder & COO)inJustin Cyrus(Founder & CEO)in AJ Gemer(Co-Founder & CTO)in

Board Daniel Kleinmann(Director)in

Co-investorsAurelia Foundry Balerion Space Ventures Beyond Earth Ventures Eniac Ventures Industrious Ventures Space Capital +3 more

Lynklynk.world in 𝕏

Lynk Global provides direct-to-device satellite connectivity to mobile phones without requiring ground infrastructure.

Space Tech

Tyghe Speidel(Co-Founder and CTO)in

Co-investorsBalerion Space Ventures Blazar Ventures, LLC Flucas Ventures One Way Ventures Starbridge Venture Capital Llc Time Zero Capital +3 more

Radian Aerospaceradianaerospace.com in 𝕏Feb 2016 · $27.5M

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)in Richard Humphrey(Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder)in Livingston Holder(Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder)inJeff Feige(Chief Revenue Officer & Co-Founder)in

Co-investorsAdvection Growth Capital Alumni Ventures Balerion Space Ventures Evolution VC Partners Fine Structures Ventures HCVC +9 more

Space Perspectivespaceperspective.com

Space tourism company offering carbon-neutral journeys aboard Spaceship Neptune.

Co-investorsBalerion Space Ventures Base Venture Management, Inc.Gamegroove Capital Invariantes Fund MarketX Ventures Republic Capital (ex Republic Labs)+2 more

Stoke Spacestokespace.com in 𝕏

Stoke Space develops fully reusable rockets for space transportation and mobility services.

Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareSpace TechSeattle, US

Andy Lapsa(Founder)in Tom Feldman(Founder)inKelly Hennig(Executive Officer)in

Board Christian Garcia(Director)in Phil Harris(Director)in Morgan Beller(Director)in

Co-investorsAcequia Capital (AceCap)AF WPartners ATEL Ventures Aurelia Foundry Balerion Space Ventures Beyond Capital +47 more

Ursa Majorursamajor.com in 𝕏Dec 2023 · $138M

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)in Nick Doucette(Co-Founder & Vice President, Strategic Operations)in Dan Jablonsky(CEO)inChris Spagnoletti(Chief Executive Officer)in

Co-investorsAlpha Edison Atento Capital Balerion Space Ventures Brave Capital Eclipse Ventures Harpoon Ventures +6 more

Ursa Majorursamajorvt.comDec 2023 · $138M

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 Ventures Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET)Eclipse

Ursa Major Technologiesursamajortechnologies.com inDec 2021

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)

Board Stewart Alsop(Director)in

Co-investorsAlsop Louie Partners Alumni Ventures Dolby Family Ventures Alpha Edison BlackRock Eclipse +2 more

Ursa Space Systemsursaspace.comDec 2023 · $138M

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)in Julie Baker(Executive Officer, Director)inMark Snell(Executive Officer)inNicole Robinson(Executive Officer)Tom Edwards(Executive Officer)

BoardDaniel Freeman(Director)

Co-investorsHemisphere Ventures LLC New Enterprise Associates (NEA)Paladin Capital Group Razor's Edge Ventures Eclipse Edge +2 more

Varda Space Industriesvarda.com in 𝕏

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(Co-founder)in Delian Asparouhov(Co-founder)in

Co-investorsAlso Capital Caffeinated Capital Founders Fund General Catalyst Khosla Ventures Lux Capital +32 more

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

Former OpenAI exec Kevin Weil is now on the board of Stoke Space | TechCrunch

Stoke Space · techcrunch.com · Jul 8, 2026

Ursa Major Raises $100M in Series E Funding

Ursa Major · finsmes.com · Nov 18, 2025

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Explorer 1 Fund made?: Explorer 1 Fund has 14 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 channel

Explorer 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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