Venus Aerospace Secures $91M Series B to Scale 3D-Printed Detonation Engine

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Venus Aerospace has completed a $91 million Series B funding round, led by Houston-based venture capital firm Mercury Fund, with participation from Lockheed Martin Ventures and others. The funds will be used to advance the rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) from flight demonstration to production for defense and aerospace customers.

In May 2025, Venus completed what it claims is the world's first high-thrust RDRE flight test. The funding round also follows the appointment of former NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy to Venus's board of directors. Investors include Lockheed Martin Ventures and other institutions.

Traditional rocket engines rely on subsonic combustion, while Venus's RDRE operates using continuous supersonic detonation waves rotating around the combustion chamber. The company says the design is the most efficient rocket engine architecture ever flown, with a 15% efficiency improvement. The engine uses 3D-printed components and standard materials, and Venus states it can be manufactured domestically through easily accessible supply chains, without relying on overseas-sourced parts.

The engine is reusable and throttleable, designed to serve munitions, space launch, orbital transfer, and lander missions with a single architecture, avoiding the need to design separate engines for each application.

"This funding round marks a critical step for Venus as we move from breakthrough demonstration to scalable capability," said Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace. "Customers need propulsion systems that deliver greater range, can be reliably produced, and are built on trusted supply chains. We are advancing this capability using American engineering and manufacturing talent to strengthen U.S. defense, expand space access, and support the future of high-speed flight."

"This funding enables us to transition from successful flight demonstrations to deployable propulsion systems," said Andrew Duggleby, co-founder and CTO. "What sets our RDRE apart is not just that it works, but that it has flown at high thrust and was designed with scalability, manufacturability, and mission integration in mind. The propulsion architecture combines efficiency, throttling, reusability, and manufacturability to meet customer needs in real-world defense and space missions. We are focused on turning technological progress into reliable systems ready for operational use."

Founded just over four years ago, Venus achieved its flight milestone in May 2025 with $80 million in funding. The company says this is one of the fastest and most capital-efficient development efforts for this type of engine.

"Venus is exactly the kind of company Houston capital should support," said Blair Garrou, co-founder and managing partner of Mercury Fund. "It combines multiple cutting-edge technologies, domestic manufacturing, and clear commercial and national security relevance. We believe this team is capable of leading an important new chapter in defense and aerospace, and we are proud to support a company building breakthrough technology in Texas."

"Lockheed Martin Ventures invests in technologies that help improve mission effectiveness," said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. "Since our initial investment, Venus has progressed very rapidly in technology development. Our reinvestment in Venus recognizes its achievements to date, as well as its focus on manufacturing speed, cost management, and reducing supply chain constraints. Venus is efficiently positioning its propulsion system to reach the production scale needed to meet defense programs."