Blue Origin raises $10B in first external funding round at $130B valuation

Blue Origin has raised $10 billion in its first external funding round, valuing the aerospace company at a pre-money valuation of $130 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The funding round is led by Coatue Management, which is committing $4 billion, while founder Jeff Bezos is contributing $2 billion personally. The remaining $4 billion has attracted strong investor demand, with several additional investors expected to participate, CNBC reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The capital raise marks the first time Blue Origin has sought significant outside investment since its founding by Bezos in 2000. Until now, the company had been funded primarily through Bezos' personal wealth, largely generated from sales of Amazon stock.

Blue Origin has previously received limited external funding, including a $137 million grant in 2021, and expanded through acquisitions such as its purchase of Honeybee Robotics in 2022.

The company plans to use the new funding to increase launch capacity, rebuild facilities following development setbacks, and advance projects including the TeraWave satellite network and its work on NASA's Artemis lunar missions.