Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is seeking outside funding for the first time in its history, with a planned $10 billion round that would value the rocket company at $130 billion before the new investment, according to CNBC on Wednesday.
The round would mark a major shift for Blue Origin, which Bezos has largely funded since founding the company in 2000. The move also comes shortly after SpaceX’s public listing, which lifted investor interest in space companies and set a much higher market value benchmark for the sector.
Bezos and Coatue expected to anchor the round
Coatue Management is expected to lead the Blue Origin funding round with a $4 billion commitment. Bezos is also set to add another $2 billion of his own money, while the remaining $4 billion has drawn strong investor demand.
Several large investors are expected to take part in the rest of the round. The funding plan follows comments Bezos made in May, when he said Blue Origin was “considering” outside investment.
In a CNBC interview, he said it was “a good time actually to start thinking about the future and bring on some other outside investors,” while also noting that such a move had not happened at the time.
That comment now looks closer to action. If completed, the round would bring institutional investors into Blue Origin after more than two decades of founder-led funding. It would also give the company more capital as it tries to expand launch services, satellite projects and government space work.
SpaceX IPO and Bezos AI funding
The fundraising plan follows SpaceX’s public market debut last month. SpaceX raised about $86 billion and reached a valuation of about $1.75 trillion, lifting investor appetite for private aerospace firms.
SpaceX has a broader revenue base than Blue Origin. Its work spans rockets, satellites and AI, while Starlink has become a major driver for the company. Blue Origin remains focused on launch services, rocket engines and government space programs.
As previously reported, Bezos-backed Prometheus raised $12 billion at a $41 billion valuation to build an “artificial general engineer” for physical product design and manufacturing. The company said the round included JPMorgan, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, DST Global, Arch Venture Partners and Bezos himself.
That earlier funding round gives more context to Blue Origin’s new capital push. It shows that Bezos-linked ventures in AI, engineering and space are drawing large investor attention this year. It also connects with Blue Origin’s own plans, as Bezos described Blue Origin as a possible “case study for a customer of Prometheus.”
In addition, SpaceX’s IPO also raised questions about how large AI and space deals compete for investor capital. The report said SpaceX’s market value was tied not only to rockets, but also to satellite connectivity and AI-related infrastructure.
Blue Origin’s $130 billion valuation would still place it far below SpaceX. Even so, it would show that investors want exposure to space infrastructure companies that may grow through launch services, satellite networks and government contracts.
New Glenn setback adds pressure
Blue Origin is raising money after a difficult period for its New Glenn rocket program. The heavy-lift rocket exploded during a static fire test on its launch pad in May, creating a setback for the company’s effort to compete in commercial launches.
The company expects to restart launches this year. New Glenn is central to Blue Origin’s plan because it can support commercial satellite launches, lunar missions and national security work. A delay in that program can slow the company’s broader growth plans.
Blue Origin has already secured large contracts from NASA and the U.S. Space Force. These include work tied to the Artemis lunar program and national security launches. However, the company still trails SpaceX by a wide margin in launch cadence and revenue.
The new funding could help Blue Origin repair infrastructure, scale production and support future missions. Still, outside investors will likely watch how quickly the company can move New Glenn from testing setbacks to regular commercial launches.
Satellite and space AI plans add to growth story
Blue Origin is also building projects beyond rockets. The company has entered the race to build space-based AI infrastructure through Project Sunrise, a proposed network of up to 51,600 satellites designed to host orbital data centers.
The company also announced TeraWave earlier this year, a planned communications satellite network for governments, data centers and business customers.
As Reuters reported in January, TeraWave would include 5,408 satellites and target high-speed optical communication, with deployment expected to use Blue Origin’s reusable New Glenn rocket.
These projects put Blue Origin closer to the same markets where SpaceX already has a strong lead through Starlink. However, analysts expect space-based AI computing to face technical and cost challenges, meaning the business may take years to reach wide commercial use.
