Aetherflux, the space-based energy and orbital data center venture founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, is securing substantial backing to scale its ambitious vision for in-space computing infrastructure. The company is reportedly raising between $250 million and $350 million in a Series B financing round that would value the company at $2 billion, with Index Ventures leading the investment. This capital infusion follows Aetherflux’s earlier accumulation of approximately $80 million since its founding in 2024, signaling strong investor confidence in the convergence of space technology and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The strategic pivot from laser-based energy transmission to space-based data centers reflects a pragmatic recognition of market economics and the growing demand for orbital compute capacity. By relocating computational infrastructure closer to power generation sources in space, Aetherflux is positioning itself at the forefront of a emerging frontier in infrastructure. This capital is expected to be used to accelerate its roadmap, iron out engineering challenges, and begin building a fleet of satellites over the next few years. The funding positions the company to challenge established terrestrial data center economics by leveraging zero-gravity and space-based power harvesting, according to industry analysis.
This development holds significant implications for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is actively pursuing dual ambitions in energy and digital infrastructure. Sovereign investment vehicles across the region have shown increasing appetite for frontier technologies, and Aetherflux’s close ties to major venture capital investors may present opportunity for cross-regional strategic partnerships fund the development of orbital compute hubs. Furthermore, the success of such ventures could help MENA economies reduce reliance on costly cooling costs required for terrestrial data centers in hot climates, accelerating their leadership in sustainable infrastructure. As geopolitical interest in outer space grows, Aetherflux’s proprietary data center designs and laser-based energy concept could also complement nascent national space missions in the MENA region, particularly those led by Gulf states.
