Apex Space

Founded in 2022 by Ian Cinnamon and Max Benassi, Los Angeles-based Apex Space manufactures productized satellite bus platforms designed for high-rate production to serve commercial and government customers. The company produces standardized spacecraft models, including the Aries, Nova, and Comet lines, securing contracts with the U.S. Space Force and Orbit Fab while utilizing SpaceX as a launch partner. Operating from a facility expanding to over 100,000 square feet, the manufacturing enterprise achieves a production capacity of more than 200 satellite buses annually with 50 employees. The hardware enterprise reached a valuation exceeding $1 billion following a $200 million Series D funding round led by Interlagos, building upon earlier investments from Andreessen Horowitz. Recently named highly innovative by Fast Company, Apex Space also acquired Phase Four's Hall-effect thruster technology to enhance its end-to-end mission services.

Apex Space designs and manufactures productized satellite bus platforms, aiming to accelerate the deployment of next-generation constellations. The company focuses on increasing reliability, reducing costs, and streamlining mission timelines through high-rate manufacturing processes. Its configurable platforms, including the Aries, Nova, and Comet lines, are built for adaptability across various orbital regimes and specific mission requirements, combining traditional aerospace methods with modern new-space approaches.

Ian Cinnamon, CEO, and Max Benassi, CTO, founded Apex Space in 2022. Their core insight recognized that while reusable launch vehicles had begun to solve orbital access challenges, the scaled manufacturing of satellites remained a critical bottleneck in deploying large constellations. The company was thus established to reimagine satellite production, meeting the growing demand for proliferated and attritable satellite systems.

Apex Space serves a broad spectrum of government and commercial customers. Its vision centers on enabling these next-generation constellations by providing high-reliability buses at scale, facilitating a faster time-to-orbit for missions ranging from responsive space security to complex proliferated networks. The company continues to deliver its platforms, driving the expansion of the space industrial base.