Varda Space Industries
Drug processing in orbit
Ranked #3 in Best Space Startups, and on 1 more ranking.
Varda Space Industries, founded in 2021 in El Segundo, California, flies capsules that process pharmaceuticals in microgravity and return them to Earth. In September 2026 it raised a $251 million Series D at a $1.6 billion valuation, led by Lux Capital and Natural Capital.
At a glance
| Price from | Custom |
| Best for | Pharma companies testing drug formulations in microgravity |
From Varda Space Industries's own website.
What stands out
- Has flown and recovered capsules
- Clear pharmaceutical use case
Worth knowing
- Early commercial stage
- Depends on launch cadence
How it ranks
Varda Space Industries is ranked 3rd of 10 in Best Space Startups (Lister Score 94.5) and 10th of 10 in Best Deep Tech Startups to Watch (Lister Score 85.6).
#3 in Best Space Startups · Lister Score 94.5
Varda Space Industries, founded in 2021 and based in El Segundo, California, builds orbital processing capsules that make materials such as pharmaceuticals in microgravity and return them to Earth. It closed a $251 million Series D in September 2026.
Varda closed a $251 million Series D in September 2026, according to the Los Angeles Times..
| Rank | Best Space Startups | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stoke Space | 97.0 |
| 2 | Impulse Space | 95.8 |
| 3 | Varda Space Industries | 94.5 |
| 4 | True Anomaly | 93.3 |
| 5 | Isar Aerospace | 92.0 |
| 6 | Astranis | 90.7 |
| 7 | Vast | 89.4 |
| 8 | Apex | 88.0 |
| 9 | K2 Space | 86.6 |
| 10 | Axiom Space | 85.2 |
#10 in Best Deep Tech Startups to Watch · Lister Score 85.6
The September 2026 Series D took Varda's total funding to $598 million..
| Rank | Best Deep Tech Startups to Watch | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anduril Industries | 96.8 |
| 2 | Commonwealth Fusion Systems | 95.6 |
| 3 | Helsing | 94.5 |
| 4 | PsiQuantum | 93.3 |
| 5 | Shield AI | 92.0 |
| 6 | Figure AI | 90.8 |
| 7 | Saronic Technologies | 89.5 |
| 8 | Hadrian | 88.2 |
| 9 | Stoke Space | 86.9 |
| 10 | Varda Space Industries | 85.6 |
Frequently asked questions
How does Varda Space Industries rank on Lister?
Varda Space Industries is ranked 3rd of 10 in Best Space Startups (Lister Score 94.5) and 10th of 10 in Best Deep Tech Startups to Watch (Lister Score 85.6).
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