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§ Private Profile · Denver, CO, USA
Aerospace technology company producing power processing units for satellite electric propulsion and in-space manufacturing.
Founded in 2017 by Gary Calnan and Joe Pawelski, Loveland, Colorado-based CisLunar Industries develops space infrastructure to process orbital metal debris and manufactures power processing units for spacecraft electric propulsion systems. The aerospace technology company operates with a team of 15 employees and has secured $5,700,000 in venture capital funding to scale its hardware manufacturing capabilities. Utilizing a hybrid business model of commercial sales and non-dilutive government contracts, the firm plans to manufacture tens of power units monthly within the next year. CisLunar Industries recently joined a consortium alongside the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan to utilize $45 million in Space Force funding for advanced propulsion development. Furthermore, the enterprise supplies its proprietary hardware to commercial aerospace customers, including orbital transfer vehicle manufacturer Atomos Space, while supporting the emerging in-space manufacturing economy.
CisLunar Industries has raised $3.7M across 2 funding rounds.
CisLunar Industries has raised $3.7M in total across 2 funding rounds.
CisLunar Industries has raised $3.7M in total across 2 funding rounds.
CisLunar Industries's investors include Colorado ONE Fund, Kevin O'Neil, RIT Capital Partners, John Francis, The Deming Center, Seraphim Space.
CisLunar Industries is a space technology company developing modular space foundries (MSFs) for in-space metal processing, recycling space debris into propellant rods, wire filaments, and feedstock for on-orbit manufacturing, 3D printing, and construction.[1][2][4] It also builds scalable power processing units (PPUs) like the MOD-PPU-1000 and MOD-PPU-6000, plus ultra-high voltage power supplies (UHVPS), transforming solar, nuclear, or battery power for spacecraft thrusters and subsystems.[3][5] Serving satellite operators, governments (e.g., U.S. Space Force, NASA), and space agencies, it solves critical challenges like space debris mitigation, propellant refueling, satellite disposal, and power efficiency in orbit, with 17 employees and growing momentum from SBIR contracts, NASA flight opportunities, and partnerships like Astroscale, Axiom Space, and Nanoracks.[1][2][4]
The company has achieved space heritage via a 2024 electron-beam welding demo and ISS-bound prototypes, while recent funding from Colorado ONE Fund and MOUs with Ascent Solar and AmplifiedSpace signal commercial scaling in power infrastructure for the space economy.[2][3]
CisLunar Industries originated in Luxembourg in 2017, drawn by the country's space resources initiative, but relocated to the U.S. (initially Denver, now Loveland, CO) as NASA and U.S. policy prioritized space debris solutions.[1][5] Founder Gary (last name not specified in sources) pivoted from early metal recycling concepts after a 2021 NASA SBIR Phase I contract revealed an unintended breakthrough: their electromagnetic induction tech required custom power converters too bulky for space, leading to proprietary, compact PPUs with broad applications.[2][5]
Early traction included rapid prototyping of melt levitation and rod-casting machines in six months, a 2024 suborbital flight success with ThinkOrbital, and live debris-to-propellant demos hosted by Colorado School of Mines with partners like Astroscale and Neumann Space.[2][4][5] This evolution from debris recycling to dual-focus on foundries and power hardware humanizes their path as an adaptive startup turning constraints into industry-wide enablers.[5]
CisLunar rides the in-space manufacturing and sustainability megatrend, fueled by exploding satellite constellations (e.g., Starlink) generating debris risks and propulsion needs, alongside U.S. Space Force/NASA mandates for resilient operations.[1][5] Timing aligns with policy shifts post-2017 (e.g., U.S. debris focus) and tech milestones like reusable rockets lowering launch costs, making on-orbit recycling viable over Earth-sourced materials.[5]
Market forces favor them: orbital traffic projected to surge, demanding refueling/disposal solutions; power bottlenecks limit electric propulsion dominance.[3][5] They influence the ecosystem by commercializing debris as feedstock, enabling lunar supply chains, and providing "steel mills of space" infrastructure—pivoting cleanup into economic opportunity for a solar system economy.[2][5]
CisLunar is poised to dominate cislunar infrastructure as power and materials bottlenecks intensify with mega-constellations and lunar bases, targeting ISS demos (2024+), orbital MSF deployments, and expanded PPU sales driving 50-70 employees in 3-5 years.[2][3][5] Trends like nuclear/solar power scaling and AI-optimized thrusters will amplify their PPUs, while debris regulations mandate recycling tech.[1][5]
Their influence could evolve from niche innovator to foundational supplier, turning space junk into abundance enablers—echoing their origin as a debris-to-foundry pivot now powering the resilient space economy.[5]
CisLunar Industries has raised $3.7M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in March 2026.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2026 | $3M Seed | Colorado ONE Fund, Kevin O'Neil | RIT Capital Partners, John Francis, The Deming Center | Announced |
| May 1, 2022 | $670K Seed | — | Seraphim Space | Announced |