ANA backs Dawn Aerospace in push for reusable space transportation 

ANA Holdings (ANA HD) has invested in Dawn Aerospace, a New Zealand–Dutch startup developing a reusable space transportation network. 

The investment was made through the company’s corporate venture capital fund, the ANA Future Frontier Fund, and marks the latest step in ANA HD’s growing involvement in the space sector.

ANA’s next frontier

For ANA HD, Japan’s largest airline group holding company, the move reflects a broader ambition to build new businesses beyond its core aviation operations. 

The group has been expanding into the space domain under the banner “Next stop, space.” 

As part of that effort, All Nippon Airways Trading, which handles the aerospace trading function for the ANA Group, signed a memorandum of understanding with Dawn Aerospace in 2025 and has been working to bring space demonstration services to the Japanese market using the company’s supersonic spaceplane.

Yoshiaki Tsuda, Executive Vice President and Director of Future Creation at ANA HD, said the decision was driven by confidence in Dawn’s technology and a shared sense of purpose. 

“We decided to make this investment because we highly value Dawn Aerospace’s exceptional technological capabilities and execution, and because we strongly share its vision of building a sustainable space transportation network,” he said. 

Tsuda added that ANA plans to support Dawn’s expansion across Japan and Asia by drawing on its aviation expertise and ANA Trading’s network.

Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace, welcomed the new backer. “Their investment reflects confidence in both our technical capability and our vision for scalable, reusable space transportation,” he said. “Their expertise and experience will be a valuable asset to Dawn’s growth.”

Inside Dawn’s Series B round

ANA HD’s participation came as part of Dawn Aerospace’s Series B funding round, which raised US$25 million at a post-money valuation of US$195 million. The round was led by US-based venture capital firm Balerion Space Ventures and drew a global syndicate of investors.

Alongside the ANA Future Frontier Fund, participants included Mana Ventures, Green Eight Capital, Seven Peak Ventures, NZVC, Alpha Funds, Gaingels, and Crosscourt, as well as individual investors such as Tim Ferriss and Yishan Wong. Existing investors including Icehouse Ventures, GD1, and Shasta Ventures also took part. 

Dawn said it plans to use the funds to scale its commercial and operational teams in the US and Europe.

Dawn’s technology and roadmap

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Christchurch, New Zealand, Dawn Aerospace has built its reputation on delivering working technology. Since its Series A in 2022, the company has become the world’s leading provider of non-toxic chemical propulsion, with 200 thrusters operating in space across more than 50 satellites. It has also flown supersonic with its Aurora suborbital spaceplane, becoming the first privately developed aircraft to break the sound barrier since the Concorde.

Two programs sit at the center of Dawn’s roadmap. Over the next 12 months, the Aurora spaceplane is expected to become the first vehicle to cross the Kármán line twice in a single day, delivering Mach 3.7 capability to the State of Oklahoma starting in 2027 under a US$17 million partnership.

In 2028, the company plans to demonstrate in-orbit refueling of its satellite propulsion systems through a service called “Loop,” central to its vision for reusable in-space logistics.

With satellite propulsion, reusable spaceplanes, and in-space refueling all advancing in parallel, Dawn Aerospace continues to pursue its goal of making space transportation both scalable and sustainable. Dawn employs more than 140 staff across the Netherlands, France, New Zealand, and the United States.

RELATED

Dawn Aerospace completes first civilian supersonic flight since the Concorde 

The post ANA backs Dawn Aerospace in push for reusable space transportation  appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source