Star Catcher: Building the In-Orbit Energy Layer

On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Jacksonville-based startup Star Catcher Industries announced it has raised $65 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round. Led by B Capital and Shield Capital, this brings the company’s total funding to $88 million as it prepares to deploy the world’s first commercial space-based power grid.

The Tech: How Laser Beaming Works

Unlike traditional “Space Solar Power” which aims to send energy back to Earth, Star Catcher’s goal is to keep the energy in space to power the thousands of satellites currently in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

• Power Nodes: Star Catcher will deploy a network of “Power Node” satellites at an altitude of ~1,500 km. These nodes collect diffuse sunlight using lightweight Fresnel lenses.

• Optical Power Beaming: The collected energy is concentrated and refined into specific wavelengths, then beamed via laser directly to client satellites.

• Zero Retrofit Required: In a major breakthrough, client satellites do not need any new hardware. The lasers are “tuned” to work with existing triple-junction solar panels already found on most spacecraft.

• The 10x Boost: By providing light that is more concentrated than the sun, Star Catcher can increase a satellite’s power generation by 5 to 10 times, allowing for more processing power and data transmission.

The Financial Flight Path

• Total Funding: $88 million (including a $12.25M seed round in 2024 and earlier grants).

• Qualified Pipeline: The company claims a commercial pipeline representing over $3 billion in projected annual recurring revenue.

• Strategic Board: Following this round, the company added General John W. Raymond (the first Chief of Space Operations for the US Space Force) to its board of directors.

Milestones & Roadmap

• Record Breaking: In late 2025, Star Catcher set a world record by transmitting over 1.1 kW of electrical power to off-the-shelf solar panels on the ground.

• DemoSat-1 (Late 2026): The first in-orbit technology demonstration is scheduled for later this year, where power will be beamed to an existing commercial satellite.

• Commercial Launch (2027-2028): Following the “DemoSat-2” prototype, the company plans to begin full-scale deployment of its commercial power nodes.