Satellite startup Apex raises $200M to ramp up production amid rising Golden Dome defense demand

Apex, a Los Angeles-based satellite manufacturing startup, has closed $200 million in Series C funding to scale up production and get ahead of a spike in demand for its pre-built spacecraft platforms.

The $200 million round was led by Point72 Ventures and co-led by 8VC. Andreessen Horowitz re-upped, and new investors Washington Harbour Partners and StepStone Group also joined in. Since launching in 2022, Apex has raised over $300 million.

The new capital infusion will help Apex accelerate manufacturing at its 50,000-square-foot facility, which the company says is now targeting a max output of 12 satellite buses per month.

Part of the new funding will also go toward stocking up on satellite components and building dozens of spacecraft ahead of actual orders. It’s a calculated risk — but one Apex sees as necessary, especially with defense funding in the spotlight.

Founded in 2022 by Ian Cinnamon (CEO) and Max Benassi, Apex builds scalable spacecraft platforms for commercial and government use. The company made headlines with its debut satellite bus, setting a world record for the fastest clean-sheet design to production spacecraft to reach orbit. Based in Los Angeles, Apex is backed by top-tier investors and focused on making space hardware more accessible through high-volume manufacturing of reliable, ready-to-fly satellite systems. In 2025, Fast Company named Apex one of the most innovative space companies to watch.

“Apex’s approach to building spacecraft is key to America realizing its commercial and national security strategies in space. This successful raise accelerates our production, allowing Apex to expand its inventory ahead of demand to better enable the missions of our innovative customers, including defense primes, the U.S. government, and some of the most exciting companies in the country,” Cinnamon said.

CEO Ian Cinnamon says demand has jumped fivefold over the past 9 to 10 months, and the strategy is simple: build now, sell later.

“We build satellites ahead of demand,” Cinnamon told Reuters. “So if you need one, it doesn’t take years, it takes days or weeks.”

That’s a bold move in an industry where custom builds often mean long lead times. Apex is betting that its off-the-shelf approach — producing standardized satellite buses ready to go — will be a magnet for defense contractors, government agencies, and commercial satellite operators who don’t want to wait.

The company is positioning itself to be a key player in Golden Dome, a massive missile defense program reportedly being prioritized by the Pentagon. “We’re orientating the company to be the backbone platform provider of Golden Dome — and associated capabilities,” Cinnamon said.

So far, Apex doesn’t have contracts tied to Golden Dome. But the signals from Washington are strong. Last week, Reuters reported that Congress is preparing to earmark $27 billion for the first wave of the initiative, which includes satellites and missile interceptors.

Apex is getting in early and building like the contracts are coming.