Venus Aerospace raises $91M to scale its rotating detonation rocket engine

What's the deal? Venus Aerospace has raised $91 million in a Series B round to advance its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) from working prototype to a scalable propulsion system. Houston-based Mercury FundDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → anchored the round, with Lockheed Martin VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → among the participants.

Why now? The raise follows Venus' May 2025 demonstration launch, the first US flight powered by an RDRE. That test also drew former NASADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → deputy administrator Pam Melroy, who joined the company's board four months later.

How it works: RDREs use a ring-shaped combustion chamber with a continuously circulating detonation wave, producing higher pressure and more thrust while burning less fuel than conventional engines. The concept is not new, but a functional model had eluded developers until Venus' flight.

What's the endgame? The company envisions the engine powering aircraft up to Mach 6 from the runway, orbital transfer vehicles for satellites, and craft capable of landing on the moon. The funding is "an important step" toward maturing the RDRE for production, said co-founder and chief executive officer Sassie Duggleby.

"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," said co-founder and chief technology officer Andrew Duggleby.

The signal: At $91 million, the round sits in the 92nd percentile of US deep tech Series B deals on record. Lockheed Martin Ventures' participation signals defence-sector interest in a propulsion technology that had long lived mainly in theory.

Read more: Space.com