Technological advances that make it cheaper than ever to design, test and build sophisticated hardware are part of the story—the same tools that make autonomous cars feasible for start-ups do the same for planes and spacecraft. Investors have spent almost $1bn on aerospace start-ups in 2018, according to financial data company Preqin. The US government has also been investing heavily into the sector. Start-up companies receiving investment include Elon Musk’s SpaceX, earth imaging company Planet, asteroid-mining firm Planetary Resources and Swarm Technologies. The Preqin survey did not include private investments in Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos.
Investors have spent almost $1bn on aerospace start-ups in 2018, according to financial data company Preqin. The US government has also been investing heavily into the sector. Start-up companies receiving investment include Elon Musk’s SpaceX, earth imaging company Planet, asteroid-mining firm Planetary Resources and Swarm Technologies. The Preqin survey did not include private investments in Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos.