Fortastra Completes $30 Million Series A Financing to Expand Maneuverable Aerospace Vehicles for Orbital Security

New funds will expand the capabilities for spacecraft development and testing, advance autonomous capabilities for rendezvous and close-range operations, and accelerate the delivery of orbital safety capabilities.

Los Angeles, October 8, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- Fortastra is a company that develops maneuverable and resilient spacecraft for orbital security and national defense. The company announced today that it has completed a $30 million Series A financing round. This financing round was led by First In, with participation from Upfront Ventures, Space Capital, Rsquared, Side Door Ventures, ATX Ventures, and other institutions, as well as existing investors. The funds from this round will be used to accelerate the development and deployment of Fortastra's orbital security platform, expand the company's engineering and operations teams, and continue to advance its core autonomous capabilities and manufacturing abilities.

With the rapid expansion of national security and commercial aerospace assets, the demand for orbital security is also increasing. The Fortastra maneuverable spacecraft are designed to maintain position near critical assets, assess surrounding activities, and respond in real-time to potential threats. The company hopes to establish continuous multi-orbital security coverage through large-scale deployment and high-frequency manufacturing, in close collaboration with leaders in both commercial and defense sectors.

Fortastra Founder and CEO Mike Smayda stated: "It took us about a year to go from seed financing to getting on track, and this speed is directly due to the team here. The core team members have all built and launched complex projects before. They came here because protecting orbital assets is a key issue that needs to be addressed. This round of financing allows us to transition from the initial operational success of Watchdog V0 to an operational capability that can enter full-scale production. Although national security priorities drive our current focus, commercial satellite operators will also need similar defense capabilities and related civilian applications earlier than the industry predicts."

After achieving the seed round milestone and securing initial government contracts, Fortastra is expanding its engineering team, focusing on flight software, GNC, and autonomous capabilities, as well as expanding manufacturing infrastructure to create a modular spacecraft platform suitable for high-frequency production.

Fortastra Chief Technology Officer Josh Jetter stated: "Close-range operations are the threshold for every capability we are building, so the current focus of our work is to compress the time interval between design, manufacturing, and flight. This round of financing will support engineering talents capable of performing relative navigation and close-range maneuvers, perceive systems that can identify in real-time what the spacecraft sees, as well as a platform optimized for high-frequency production and mission efficiency and cost-effectiveness. All of these depend on the growth of our core engineering and manufacturing capabilities."

Fortastra, the Vice President of Products, Sahil Desai stated: "Modern space missions require technologies that are operational and scalable. Over the past few years, we've seen many newcomers bring cheaper and more effective combat capabilities to both ground and air. At Fortastra, we're asking ourselves, why can't we do the same in space? This funding will enable Fortastra to build prototypes for the next generation of spacecraft at an unprecedented speed. In addition, we will also design a production architecture in parallel to prove that we are capable of producing them on time."

First In General Partners Arthur Karell state: "Never before have U.S. public and private aerospace assets been so critical to the functioning of daily life, and at the same time so vulnerable to interference from various adversaries. Fortastra The team is rapidly filling this gap by developing high-performance, low-cost space defense systems. They are making 'scale itself a competitive advantage' a feasible strategy in orbit. First In We are honored to lead this round of investment to support Mike and Fortastra teams in their continued efforts for our common space security."

This round of financing follows a series of recent milestones for Fortastra, including the launch of Watchdog V0; signing a memorandum of understanding with manufacturer Hadrian to apply precision machining and additive manufacturing to national security spacecraft projects; and appointing Scott Klempner, formerly the deputy executive officer of the Space Systems Command Space Operations Forces project, as the director of national security products.

About Fortastra

Fortastra designs and operates maneuverable spacecraft for orbital security. Headquartered in Torrance, California, the company combines modern engineering practices, high-frequency spacecraft manufacturing, and advanced autonomous capabilities to protect critical space infrastructure and provide continuous operational advantages for the United States and its allies.

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