Venus Aerospace raises $91 million to advance high-thrust RDRE
US company Venus Aerospace has announced the close of a USD 91 million Series B financing led by Mercury Fund, a Houston-based venture capital firm, with participation from Lockheed Martin Ventures, MESH, PEAK6, Draper Associates, Starboard Star Venture Capital, Green Sands Equity and other new and existing strategic and institutional investors.
The round will fund Venus as it scales development and production, moving its RDRE propulsion system from successful flight demonstration toward deployment for a range of near-term defense and space applications, according to a press release.
Unlike conventional rocket engines, which burn fuel through subsonic combustion, Venus’ RDRE employs a continuous supersonic detonation wave that rotates around the combustion chamber, resulting in an efficiency gain that can translate into extended range, increased payload flexibility, and more capable systems across defense and space missions.
Built from 3D-printed components and standard materials, the RDRE is designed for domestic manufacturing at scale through accessible supply chains, reducing reliance on constrained or foreign-sourced parts, the press release said.
“This financing marks an important step in moving Venus from breakthrough demonstration to scaled capability,” said Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace. “Our customers need propulsion systems that go farther, can be produced reliably and are built on supply chains they can trust. We are advancing that capability with American engineering and manufacturing talent to strengthen US defense, expand space access and support the future of high-speed flight.”
“Venus is exactly the kind of company Houston capital should be backing,” said Blair Garrou, co-founder and Managing Partner at Mercury Fund. “It combines multiple frontier technologies, domestic manufacturing and clear commercial and national security relevance.”
Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, said Venus was working effectively to position its propulsion system for the production scale required by defense programs.
“This capital allows us to move from successful flight demonstration toward deployable propulsion systems,” said Andrew Duggleby, co-founder and CTO of Venus Aerospace. “What differentiates our RDRE is not just that it works, but that it has flown at high thrust and was designed with scale, manufacturability and mission integration in mind.”
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