Fortastra Raises $8 Million in Seed Funding to Build Orbital Defense Satellites
Military presence in space is increasing, but apart from a few anti-satellite demonstrations in recent years, tensions haven’t led to direct conflict. Fortastra, a Torrance, California-based startup founded in 2025 by Mike Smayda, a former SpaceX employee and Hermeus cofounder, has just raised $8 million in seed funding to build spacecraft designed to physically protect both government and commercial satellites in case threats escalate. Upfront Ventures led the funding round, joined by Generational Partners, Forward Deployed Venture Capital, Bloomberg Beta, and Wave Function Ventures.
Smayda’s aim is to create advanced technology that safeguards vital satellites, especially those used for national security. Fortastra’s plans involve remote sensing, autonomous systems, and hardware designed to interact with other objects in space. With this recent investment, Fortastra will focus on testing sensor equipment and developing the integrated software and autonomous systems needed to perform protective maneuvers around other satellites, an area where there’s limited previous data or experience. “Our strength must be in these close-quarters operations; there’s not much information available, and few devices have operated near others in orbit,” Smayda explained. “That expertise needs to be our specialty.”
Smayda believes the Department of Defense can use Fortastra’s technology, but he also sees wider commercial opportunities. “Space is clearly becoming more competitive, which is currently a government concern,” Smayda said. “However, I see a growing market for private sector security services as well.”
The same technology that allows safe approaches and interactions between hardware in orbit could prove useful for less critical tasks, too. Smayda anticipates additional applications for Fortastra’s future remote sensing and rendezvous capabilities.
For now, Upfront Ventures is confident in government support for Fortastra’s research and development, independent of commercial demand. “We believe there’s sufficient budget for this company’s R&D, period,” said Nick Kim of Upfront Ventures. “We also think the space industry will evolve so that dominance in this field becomes a top national-security priority.”
Related:
Counterspace capabilities advancing around the globe: Secure World Foundation
