# Stoke Space **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/stoke-space **Vertical:** Manufacturing **Subcategory:** General **Tier:** Leader **Website:** stokespace.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Kent WA aerospace company developing fully reusable two-stage Nova rocket; $990M total raised with $510M Series D in 2025 from USIT plus Space Force contract competing with SpaceX for medium-lift reusable launch. ## Company Overview Stoke Space Technologies is a Kent, Washington-based aerospace launch company developing Nova — the first fully reusable two-stage rocket with both a reusable booster (first stage) and a reusable upper stage (second stage) — targeting the medium-lift launch market with a 4,500 kg to LEO payload capacity at economics enabled by full vehicle reuse rather than expendable second stages. Founded by Andy Lapsa and Tom Feldman (both Boeing engineers) and backed by Y Combinator (W21) with $990 million total raised including a $510 million Series D in September 2025 led by Thomas Tull's US Innovative Technology Fund (USIT), a $260 million Series C in January 2025 led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and a US Space Force National Security Space Launch contract award in 2025. Stoke Space's full reusability thesis addresses the economic ceiling of SpaceX's model: SpaceX's Falcon 9 reuses the first stage booster but expends the second stage (upper stage) on every launch — the upper stage costs $15-30 million per mission and is the primary driver of Falcon 9's ~$67 million launch cost. Nova's reusable upper stage, landing under hydrogen-fueled aerospike engines with a transpiration-cooled heat shield, would eliminate this expenditure and enable launch prices potentially below $10 million for the medium-lift class. The hydrogen-cooled aerospike upper stage technology is the most technically demanding element — Stoke Space demonstrated upper stage hover tests in 2023, validating the propulsion and guidance architecture before full vehicle integration. In 2025, Stoke Space competes in the medium-lift commercial launch market with SpaceX Falcon 9 (dominant platform, $67M base price, high reliability), Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB, Neutron medium-lift in development), and United Launch Alliance Vulcan for US medium-lift launch capacity. US Space Force contract award validates Stoke Space for national security payloads — a premium market with higher margins and regulatory barriers that protect from price competition. Breakthrough Energy Ventures' backing reflects Jeff Bezos's conviction in the commercial space economy enabling climate tech (satellite observation, off-Earth industry). The 2025 strategy focuses on the Nova full-vehicle ground test campaign, completing NSSL (National Security Space Launch) certification, and demonstrating the first full flight test that de-risks the reusable upper stage design for commercial customer commitments. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Stoke Space? Stoke Space is a Kent, Washington-based aerospace company founded in 2019 that is building the first fully reusable rocket with both reusable booster and second stage. The company is part of Y Combinator's Winter 2021 cohort and manufactures the Nova rocket for medium-lift launches. ### What products and services does Stoke Space offer? Stoke Space offers fully reusable rockets, including the Nova launch vehicle with a reusable second stage, space launch services, and rocket manufacturing. Their key innovation is creating the first rocket with both a reusable booster and second stage. ### Who are Stoke Space's target customers? Stoke Space serves customers requiring medium-lift launch services, including the U.S. Space Force, which awarded them a National Security Space Launch contract in 2025. ### When was Stoke Space founded? Stoke Space was founded in 2019 and participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2021 (W21) cohort. ### Where is Stoke Space located? Stoke Space is based in Kent, Washington, United States. ### How much funding has Stoke Space raised? Stoke Space has raised $990M in total funding, including a $510M Series D in September 2025 led by Thomas Tull's US Innovative Technology Fund with a $100M debt facility from Silicon Valley Bank, and a $260M Series C in January 2025 led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures. ### What are Stoke Space's key achievements? Stoke Space secured a U.S. Space Force National Security Space Launch contract in 2025 and is building the first fully reusable rocket with both reusable booster and second stage. The company has raised nearly $1 billion in total funding. ### What makes Stoke Space's technology unique? Stoke Space is developing the first fully reusable rocket with both a reusable booster and second stage, which has never been achieved before in aerospace. Their Nova rocket is designed for medium-lift launches with complete reusability. ### How can I contact or work with Stoke Space? Based on the provided information, Stoke Space is located in Kent, Washington, but specific contact details are not included in the available data. ### What are the most recent developments at Stoke Space? In 2025, Stoke Space raised a $510M Series D in September led by USIT plus a $100M debt facility, following a $260M Series C in January led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The company also received a U.S. Space Force National Security Space Launch contract in 2025. ## Tags b2b, hardware, manufacturing, transportation, startup, enterprise --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*