Auriga Space
"Powering the future of propulsion for space and defense"
Auriga Space builds ground-based electromagnetic launch systems for space, hypersonic testing and counter-drone defense, backed by a US Army CRADA.
Auriga Space is a Garden Grove, California-based aerospace and defense company developing electromagnetic launch technology as an alternative to chemical rocket propulsion for a vehicle's initial ascent. Founded in 2022 by CEO Winnie Lai, a former VP of Product and Business Development at SpinLaunch with a background in electrical engineering and physics from the University of British Columbia, the company designs, builds and tests its electromagnetic acceleration systems in-house at its own R&D facility rather than outsourcing component development. Auriga's core technology uses magnetic coils along a ground-based track to accelerate a payload-carrying sled to high speed before it exits the track; for orbital launch applications, a smaller onboard rocket then completes the ascent to orbit, eliminating the need for a large first-stage chemical booster and its associated propellant mass.
The company has applied the same electromagnetic acceleration approach to defense use cases. In July 2026, Auriga Space entered a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army to develop Hermes, an electromagnetic launcher intended to counter drone swarms by launching interceptor payloads at high velocity without chemical propellant, offering a potentially lower per-shot cost than missile-based counter-drone systems. Auriga has also worked on hypersonic ground-test platforms and launched-effects applications, in which its track-based launch systems deploy small UAVs or test articles at speed for research and defense customers.
Financially, Auriga Space has raised more than $11 million to date, including an early $5 million round for prototyping, a $4.6 million seed round led by OTB Ventures with participation from Trucks Venture Capital and Seraphim Space, and a $1.4 million Direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract awarded through AFWERX in August 2024. Other investors include Possible Ventures, Unlock Ventures, DNX Ventures, Monte Carlo Capital, Vermillion Ventures, Heuristic Capital and Syndicate 708. Advisors include Blake Scholl, founder of Boom Supersonic, and Ashley Johnson, former COO/CFO of Planet Labs.
Unlike traditional space-launch startups that build complete chemical rockets, Auriga Space positions its electromagnetic launch systems as a first-stage or standalone acceleration technology applicable across three markets: space launch, as a reusable first stage; defense, for counter-drone and launched-effects work; and hypersonic testing infrastructure. This multi-market approach differentiates the company from single-application space-launch or counter-drone specialists, and its emphasis on in-house, vertically integrated hardware development is a stated core operating principle.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Zeus
Electromagnetic launch platform providing on-demand access to Low Earth Orbit with one-hour turnaround capability.
Prometheus
Recoverable electromagnetic ground-test platform for lab-scale, flight-representative hypersonic testing.
Contact Auriga Space
WEBSITE
https://www.aurigaspace.com/HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2022
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
employees 10-50
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Early-Stage VC
Funding Total
-
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