The $6 million funding round successfully acquired last month by Dark builds upon a successful commercial year, adding to the $5 million raised in 2021.
Dark has now secured contracts worth several million dollars with the French government and the French Space Agency (CNES). These contracts are directed toward future initiatives, including emergency debris removal services using the company’s Interceptor platform and new, state-of-the-art, propulsion advancements.
Long Journey, a U.S.-based venture capital firm specializing in category-defining companies, is led by investors Lee Jacobs, Arielle Zuckerberg, and Cyan Banister. They are joining internal investors Eurazeo and Frst into this round.
The funding will support Dark in the second phase of its development, gearing up for an orbital defense demonstration by 2026. Dark will leverage new in-house technologies, including advanced radar capabilities for space detection and orbital propulsion optimized for maneuvering large objects and controlled re-entry in the atmosphere.
“Anduril and SpaceX have reshaped entire industries through their bold ventures into uncharted territories. Dark, committed to advancing space security, shares this pioneering spirit as category- creators in this exciting new industry. When we first met Dark’s founders and team, we immediately knew there was something magically weird about them. Their accomplishments within the European landscape have been remarkable and it highlights not only their commitment and conviction, but also their ingenuity,” said Arielle Zuckerberg, General Partner at Long Journey
“Two years ago, we took a leap with our investment, betting on two founders with a vision to secure space. Since then, Dark’s execution has surpassed our expectations, demonstrating their capacity to develop unique technologies and capabilities. They are on a path to build a global category-defining company that will solve an existential problem for the space industry. We are very excited to double down on this round,” said Antoine Zins, Managing Director at Eurazeo