Varda Space Industries Secures $251 Million for Space-based Medicine Production
Varda Space Industries has successfully raised $251 million in a Series D funding round, aimed at manufacturing medicines in space for Earth-bound patients. This funding, co-led by Lux Capital and Natural Capital, has increased the company’s valuation to $1.6 billion and brought its total funding to $598 million since its inception in 2021 by former SpaceX engineer Will Bruey and Founders Fund partner Delian Asparouhov.
The California-based startup launched its first mission in 2023, completing six successful reentries since then. Varda has secured 28 upcoming launches with SpaceX and other providers scheduled between 2027 and 2029. Notably, partner at Lux Capital, Shahin Farshchi, emphasizes Varda’s unique position as “the first and only company delivering a real cadence of launches and reentries.”
Space’s microgravity environment influences crystal formation, which could significantly enhance drug properties such as stability and bioavailability. Historical evidence of microgravity’s effects on drug molecules has spurred decades of research, with NASA sponsoring a report in 1978 on the subject.
As the cost of sending payloads to orbit continues to decrease—having fallen by 96% from 1960 to 2025—the feasibility of commercially viable drug production in space is improving. Varda’s capsules are launched into orbit aboard commercial rockets, containing the necessary equipment to process pharmaceuticals. After processing, the capsules return to Earth for analysis.
Varda has partnered with United Therapeutics to improve treatments for rare lung diseases, illustrating how space-based manufacturing could enhance these therapies. However, Varda faces competition from companies like Space Microgravity Development (SpaceMD) and Voyager Technologies, both of which are exploring space for pharmaceutical research and development.
As the landscape for space-based drug manufacturing evolves, Varda aims to capitalize on this technological shift to benefit healthcare on Earth.
