Gitai USA raises $15.5m for space robotics

Gitai USA, the space robotics startup, has raised $15.5 million in its latest Series B Extension round, which is the third it has held.

With previous rounds raising $30m in May 2023 and $15m in August 2023, it brings the total in Series B Extension rounds to $60.5M.

The lead investor in the latest funding round was Maezawa Fund. This is a VC fund operated by Japanese billionaire entrepreneur and commercial astronaut Yusaku Maezawa.

Existing investors included Green Co-Invest Investment, MSIVC 2023V Venture Capital Investment and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital IX.

With the additional funding, it “aims to further advance on-orbit services and lunar infrastructure construction”. This will be in the U.S. space and defence market.

Gitai USA

“Gitai’s monumental challenge to reduce space development costs by 1/100 holds vast potential to expand the boundaries of our future,” said Yusaku Maezawa.

“Achieving this will bring space closer to our daily lives and business, transforming it into a more accessible domain. We are genuinely excited to support Gitai in pioneering this new frontier.”

In 2023, Gitai relocated its headquarters from Japan to the United States. All non-U.S. national management team members obtained permanent resident status, officially establishing Gitai as a United States-based company.

Image: Gitai – autonomous robot, which operates externally to the ISS

See also: Getting a grip with space robotics in simulated regolith chamber