Venus Aerospace Closes On $3 Million In Seed Funding

Company will Use Financing--Led by Prime Movers Lab--to Develop its Mach 12 Hypersonic Aircraft Technology

March 3, 2021

HOUSTON, March 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Venus Aerospace, a startup company pushing the boundaries of high-speed transportation, has closed on a $3 million round of seed funding led by Prime Movers Lab, an investor in breakthrough scientific startups that will revolutionize the world’s most important industries and transform billions of lives.

With the new round of funding, Venus Aerospace will build out its Mach 12 hypersonic aircraft designed to travel at the edge of space, allowing passengers to go from Los Angeles to Tokyo in one hour.

“We are excited to partner with our new investors on this bold vision,” said Venus Aerospace co-founder and CEO Sarah “Sassie” Duggleby. “This futuristic concept that was once a dream is now reality, and watching it physically unfold with a team of talented scientists and engineers is just incredible.”

This funding, combined with previous government investments, will go to the development of reusable and efficient advanced rocket engines and aerodynamic technologies.

“For decades, a space plane has been the dream of high-speed global travel—but always too far out of reach,” said co-founder and CTO Dr. Andrew Duggleby. “However, a new significant shift in both rocket engine and hypersonic technologies finally make it possible. This funding allows us to accelerate our development program and press ahead toward our next milestones.”

In addition to Prime Movers Lab, investors included Draper Associates, Boost VC, Saturn Five and X-Factor Ventures. Brandon Simmons, of Prime Movers Lab, will serve on the Venus Aerospace Board of Directors.

“Andrew, Sassie and the team bring world-class experience and significant technical breakthroughs to Venus, and we are thrilled to partner with them,” Simmons said. “The civilian and defense applications for this technology are massive, and this team has significant early interest from multiple key partners.”

About Venus Aerospace
Venus Aerospace is a startup pushing the boundaries of high-speed transportation. Founded by Sarah “Sassie” Duggleby and Dr. Andrew Duggleby, Venus Aerospace is focused on developing a Mach 12 hypersonic aircraft designed to travel at the edge of space, allowing passengers to fly around the world and still make it home in time for dinner.

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Andrew Duggleby

CTO

Dr. Andrew Duggleby is the CTO and co-founder of Venus Aerospace, a U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander and an engineering professor. Before launching Venus, he was head of launch operations at Virgin Orbit where he led operational planning, mission control, telemetry, ground equipment, launch infrastructure, and payload operations teams. He also led a team of engineers and technicians to hotfire the first dual-mode 3D print (DMLS printed and DED cladded) rocket engine, in collaboration with NASA MSFC. Dr. Duggleby was a Mechanical Engineering Asst. Professor at Virginia Tech and Texas A&M. He founded Exosent Engineering with a former student, making ASME-rated hazardous transport trailers, and exited in 2015 to pursue his space passion. A Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, he has multiple deployments to Japan (shipyard repair), and multiple commanding officer tours of US-based reserve maintenance units. Would love to get more PhDs but his wife won’t let him.