Strengthening Engineering Team to Advance Japan’s First Crewed Space Technology, Starting with Providing Demonstration and Experimentation Platforms in SpaceElevationSpace Inc. (CEO: Ryohei Kobayashi; Headquarters: Sendai, Miyagi; hereinafter “ElevationSpace”), a startup developing spacecraft capable of conducting demonstrations and experiments in space before returning safely to Earth, has raised over 1.4 billion yen in its Series A funding round. The round was led by Beyond Next Ventures Inc. (President & CEO: Tsuyoshi Ito; Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) through a third-party allotment of shares, along with additional financing from financial institutions.Asaresult,thecompany’stotalfundingsinceitsfoundinginFebruary2021hasreachedapproximately2.1billionyen. With the funds raised in this round, ElevationSpace will significantly strengthen its development capabilities for the "ELS-R" (Space Utilization and Recovery Platform), which is currently under development.In addition, to realize its mission of "Create a world where everyone can live in space and elevate your future." the company will accelerate the development of the "ELS-RS" project — a return transportation service from space to Earth — as well as the "Co-Creation" initiative, which aims to enhance Japan’s competitiveness in space development by bringing together the strengths of domestic manufacturing.Through these efforts, ElevationSpace aims to contribute to the advancement of Japan’s space industry and economy, while paving the way for the acquisition of future crewed spaceflight technologies.Fundraising OverviewAmount Raised: Over 1.4 billion yenFunding Methods: Third-party allotment of shares and debt financingInvestors:Beyond Next Ventures 3 Investment Limited PartnershipGeneral Partner: Beyond Next Ventures Inc.Space Frontier No.2 Investment Limited PartnershipGeneral Partner: SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd.Nissay Capital No.13 Investment Limited PartnershipGeneral Partner: Nissay Capital Co., Ltd.Nissay Capital Sustainability Solutions Fund No.1 Investment Limited PartnershipGeneral Partner: Nissay Capital Co., Ltd.FFG Venture No.3 Investment Limited PartnershipGeneral Partner: FFG Venture Business Partners Co., Ltd.CSP No.2 Investment Limited PartnershipGeneral Partner: CSP2 LLP Member: CSP2 G.K.Globe Advisors VenturesLenders:The 77 Bank, Ltd.Miyagi Daiichi Shinkin Bankand others“Create a world where everyone can live in space and elevate your future.”ElevationSpace was founded in 2021, a historic turning point when, for the first time in history, the number of private space travelers exceeded that of professional astronauts.Since then, driven by the rapid rise of private companies in the space industry, the global space economy has continued to expand at an accelerating pace. The market, which was worth approximately 40 trillion yen in 2016, is projected to grow to around 150 trillion yen by 2040.In this transformative era, we believe that a future where economic activity in space is commonplace is fast approaching—and with it, a wave of industries entering the space domain.To make that future a reality, two essential capabilities are required: the ability to transport people and goods into space, and the ability to enable a wide range of products and services to function effectively in space environments.At the heart of our mission is the development of ELS-R, a reusable space platform that enables frequent and accessible in-orbit demonstrations and experiments. This technology is a vital gateway for industries looking to enter and operate in space.By creating easier access to space, we believe we can unlock new value and “enrich the future of humanity.” The development of ELS-R, our in-orbit utilization and return platform, marks our first major step toward that goal.However, despite the expanding opportunities, the reality is that the barriers to entry in the space sector remain high. We frequently hear from companies saying, “We’re interested in space, but we don’t know where to start,” or “We’re unsure how our current business could connect with space.”To address these challenges, we have expanded beyond simply providing technical platforms. Through our Co-Creation initiatives, we offer corporate training and consulting services to support businesses exploring entry into the space industry.Additionally, by applying the reentry and recovery technologies developed for ELS-R, we are launching ELS-RS, a service that enables frequent return of materials from space to Earth. This is part of our broader effort to make space more accessible and practical for users across industries.Looking further ahead, we are aiming to acquire crewed spaceflight technologies, laying the foundation for a future where anyone can live and work in space.We envision a world where people can travel to and return from space with ease, where human presence in orbit is sustained, and where vibrant economic activity unfolds beyond Earth.By harnessing Japan’s world-class manufacturing capabilities, ElevationSpace is committed to becoming a hub for this enriched future—advancing both technology and business to unlock the full potential of space.※ A New Space Economy on the Edge of Liftoff | Morgan Stanleyhttps://www.morganstanley.com/Themes/global-space-economyMessage from the CEOI would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who supported us in this funding round, and to the new investors and financial institutions who resonated with our mission and joined us on this journey.Since our founding in 2021, ElevationSpace has been dedicated to developing ELS-R, a research and technology demonstration platform for use in space, grounded in Japan’s world-class reentry and recovery technologies. Guided by our mission—“Create a world where everyone can live in space and elevate your future.”—we’ve worked tirelessly to bring our vision to life.What started as a two-person venture has now grown into a team of over 30 passionate and talented individuals. The designs we once sketched on paper are now taking shape as a real satellite. At present, we are focused on ground testing and detailed design of our first spacecraft, "AOBA", as well as on co-developing business applications to commercialize our services.This latest round of funding will serve as a powerful catalyst to accelerate both our technical and business development.Together with our incredible team, supportive shareholders, and all those who continue to stand by us, we will keep pushing forward—working to enrich the future of people not only in our local community, but across Japan and around the world.Ryohei Kobayashi Co-Founder / CEO, ElevationSpace Inc. About ElevationSpace:ElevationSpace is a space startup with the vision of "Building an in-orbit transportation network to connect cargo, crew, and all orbital operations." In collaboration with Tohoku University and JAXA, ElevationSpace is leveraging Japan's world-class re-entry technology to develop a space transportation service that facilitates the return of goods from space to Earth. The company is focused on creating small spacecraft capable of transporting items that have been experimented on, developed, and manufactured in the microgravity environment back to Earth. More information: https://elevation-space.com/enThe International Space Station (ISS), which has been used for a wide range of purposes from basic scientific experiments to industrial applications, has been scheduled to cease operation at the end of 2030 due to structural lifespan and other factors, and securing a continuous "place" for utilizing the space environment has become an issue.With an eye on the "post-ISS era," ElevationSpace aims to provide a space utilization and recovery platform called "ELS-R." "ELS-R" is the first service of its kind in Japan to use an uncrewed small satellite to conduct experiments and demonstrations that take advantage of the zero-gravity environment, and then return it to Earth and to customers.Concept movie showing the image of the "ELS-R" service%3Ciframe%20width%3D%22560%22%20height%3D%22315%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2F_2m_GXSDvdI%3Fsi%3D3GzV-iJIhGgC5dUz%22%20title%3D%22YouTube%20video%20player%22%20frameborder%3D%220%22%20allow%3D%22accelerometer%3B%20autoplay%3B%20clipboard-write%3B%20encrypted-media%3B%20gyroscope%3B%20picture-in-picture%3B%20web-share%22%20referrerpolicy%3D%22strict-origin-when-cross-origin%22%20allowfullscreen%3D%22%22%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3E