Blue Origin raises $10B at $130B valuation

Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos, is raising $10 billion in its first external funding round at a pre-money valuation of $130 billion, according to a New York Times DealBook report. The round is led by asset manager Coatue Management with a $4 billion commitment, while Bezos is contributing $2 billion personally. The remaining $4 billion is expected from other investors. The fundraising comes amid surging investor interest in private aerospace firms following SpaceX's successful IPO last month. Blue Origin plans to use the funds to increase launch capacity, rebuild facilities after the New Glenn rocket explosion in May, and advance projects including the Blue Origin satellite network and its work on United States — NASA's Artemis lunar missions. Blue Origin has won billions in contracts from United States — NASA and the US Space Force and is a critical partner for the Artemis program, tasked with developing the Blue Moon lander. The company had previously been funded primarily by Bezos' personal wealth.