Tech development in the physical world is often seen as unforgiving, with common misconceptions of high capital requirements and lengthy product roadmaps. But we’re starting to see the narrative change before our eyes. The convergence of mature tech stacks and declining hardware costs is creating fertile ground for ​​entrepreneurs with specialized domain expertise to build complex, real-world products with remarkable precision and speed.

Enter: True Anomaly, founded in early 2022, is now the leading provider of space security solutions. Its innovations underpin critical decisions and strategic advantages in the ever-evolving new space economy. True Anomaly not only built and deployed Mosaic, a modern operating system designed for human command and machine control for any space system, but also achieved significant commercial success in its first full year of operations. With this momentum, we’re thrilled to strengthen our partnership with True Anomaly by participating in its $100M Series B round, after having led the company's $17 million Series A, which was announced in April 2023. True Anomaly is poised to scale its team, products, and customer base, propelling its mission in space security and sustainability. With a cutting-edge aerospace factory in place, the company is gearing up to launch its initial pair of Jackal autonomous orbital vehicles (AOVs) for in-orbit tasks in March 2024, further accelerating the capabilities of its Space Domain Awareness (SDA) products and services. The pace of progress marks an exceptional leap, considering that traditional aerospace development programs often span several years.

For years, Silicon Valley has overlooked talent from traditional industries, like aerospace and defense. However, building complex technologies for mission-critical industries also demands deep domain expertise. Often, when industry experts are unencumbered by the bureaucracy that exists in legacy industrial companies, their deep expertise and tremendous experience can flourish. True Anomaly’s team comprises former aerospace and military leaders — who literally wrote the book on space security. Their precise understanding of what needs to be built at the most intricate level has enabled them to assemble a team with key skills and talents crucial for executing their vision with unparalleled precision and velocity. Ultimately, mission-driven practitioners, deeply attuned to customer needs and liberated from the constraints of legacy processes, realize their full potential in an environment fostering their best work.

The challenges of legacy space systems have profoundly impacted True Anomaly's Co-Founders, Even Rogers, Dan Brunski, Tom Nichols, and Kyle Zakrzewski. They served together in the 4th Space Operations Squadron, a specialized unit within the U.S. Space Force. During their service, they experienced the need for new technology solutions to close the capability gap and enable Space Force Guardians to operate effectively. As a result, while most startups search for product-market fit, True Anomaly started with it. This team of Co-Founders had a clear vision, knew what was needed, and systematically took action to fulfill customer needs. By winning and delivering with precision on initial contracts from the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command at breakneck speed, the team earned customers’ trust. Their opportunity ahead is significant — the Space Force proposed a $30 billion 2024 budget and the team is actively pursuing the modernization and expansion of space software within both government and commercial sectors.

In recent years, the proliferation of on-orbit assets (ranging from GPS satellites to Earth observation data) has dramatically reshaped the space domain. Today it stands not only as an integral part of our daily lives, but has emerged as the newest, most vulnerable domain for national security operations, devoid of geopolitical boundaries and sovereignty. The increasing dependence on space-based observation and communication exposes vulnerabilities, making adversaries aware of the strategic advantages offered by American assets. There's a concerning rise in space threats; evident in adversaries rapidly advancing on-orbit capabilities, challenging the existing U.S. industrial base. Failure to adapt to these threats risks the U.S. maintaining its global leadership in space.

This $100 million funding round will serve as a catalyst for True Anomaly, propelling the development and deployment of modern, highly flexible, and finely detailed technology on scales urgently required by the U.S. Government, its allies, and partners. These advancements aim to deter adversaries, safeguard U.S. and allied interests, and ultimately, foster societal value and economic prosperity.

True Anomaly is part of a broader new wave of startups, alongside Eclipse portfolio companies like Arc and Reframe, to accelerate the Industrial Evolution and rapidly deliver value to enterprises, defying conventional expectations about how long it takes to build full-stack solutions. Capitalizing on their prior experience, deep understanding of the problem area, and availability of off-the-shelf hardware components, the True Anomaly Co-Founders set the standard for a generation of bold, new entrepreneurs to break orbit and lead the way forward.

Congratulations Even, Tom, Kyle, Dan, and the entire True Anomaly team!

More on today's news from Bloomberg Tech.

Follow Eclipse on LinkedIn for the latest on the Industrial Evolution.