Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin seeks first outside funding at $130 billion valuation: Report

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin seeks first outside funding at $130 billion valuation: Report



Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is looking to tap outside investors for the ​first time, aiming to raise $10 ​billion in a funding round that would value the ​rocket maker at $130 billion before the investment, according to an NYT DealBook report on Wednesday.

Coatue Management, a big asset manager, is expected to lead the round with a $4 billion commitment, the report ‌said, adding ⁠that Bezos ⁠is set to contribute an additional $2 billion.

The report comes as investor appetite for space companies ​has surged following SpaceX’s IPO last month, which lifted expectations for valuations of privately held ​aerospace firms.

Blue Origin did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

SpaceX, with operations spanning rockets, satellites and AI, secured an about $1.75 trillion valuation in ​its public market debut, after raising about $86 billion ⁠in the ‌world’s largest IPO following years of fundraising to finance Elon ​Musk’s AI ​and space ambitions.

Founded by Bezos in September 2000, about 18 ⁠months before Musk started SpaceX, Blue Origin has largely ​been funded by the Amazon founder. It has secured multibillion-dollar ​NASA and U.S. Space Force contracts, including work on the Artemis lunar program and national security launches, but still trails SpaceX by a wide margin in launch cadence and revenue.