An astonishing $100 million has been raised in a seed round by Singapore-based Qosmosys to develop its lunar lander technology.
The business did not reveal its investors, and a spokesman for Qosmosys did not reply to TechCrunch’s email. The startup merely stated in a press release on its website that it employs a “unique and protective funding model.”
The release states that the structure “welcomes a limited consortium of investors, safeguarding all stakeholder interests in anticipation of a planned IPO by at least 2028.”
In just four years, the company hopes to launch its ZeusX spacecraft to the moon, following a follow-up mission in 2029. A service module, a moon lander, and a “lunar integrated bulk extraction rover,” which will gather lunar resources, will make up the spacecraft. That helps account for the spacecraft’s formidable size: 8 meters in height and 4.2 meters in diameter, larger than its peer landers such as Firefly’s Blue Ghost, Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C, and Astrobotic’s Peregrine.
Not much is known about the first mission, though Qosmosys did say back in February that it had partnered with Airbus Defense and Space for technical design and engineering services for the ZeusX concept. If everything goes according to plan, the spacecraft can carry 800 kilograms to the surface and 500 kilograms to lunar orbit.
The aerospace executive-led startup’s headquarters are in Singapore, but it also has affiliate businesses in Toulouse, France, and Houston, Texas. According to Qosmosys, a key component of its business model is lunar mining, particularly for essential minerals like helium-3.
