Venus Aerospace, a Houston, Texas-based startup, announced on July 8, 2026, that it has closed a $91 million Series B funding round which will support the further development of its high-thrust rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) technology.
This fresh capital round follows the first successful flight test, in May 2026, of an engine built with this type of architecture, which uses a continuous supersonic detonation wave that rotates around the combustion chamber in order to achieve significant efficiency gains.
The engine being developed by Venus Aerospace is not only reusable, but, according to the Texan startup, it is also able to outperform conventional rocket engines by 15%. This will facilitate its use with extended payload and range across different space and military applications, ranging from space launches to attack missions.
Technological sovereignty is another aspect that has been valued by investors in the context of accelerated defense reindustrialization in the United States. In this regard, Venus Aerospace plans to build the engines in Texas using a large number of parts which can be 3D-printed or sourced locally, reducing its dependency on foreign suppliers.
Venture capital firm Mercury Fund, which is also based in Houston, led Venus Aerospace’s Series B round. Other investors in this round included Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture capital arm of the defense giant, as well as MESH, PEAK6, Draper Associates, Starboard Star Venture Capital and Green Sands Equity, among others.