Europe’s depconcludeence on foreign launch providers has long been a sticking point in its space ambitions, but German startup HyImpulse Technologies is racing to alter that.
The company has just closed a €45 million funding round, comprising €15 million in Series A funding led by Campus Founders Ventures, and €30 million in public financing, to accelerate the development of its hybrid-propulsion SL1 orbital rocket and scale production.
Other investors include Helantic, GIMIC, the Global Resilience Innovation Fund (GRIF), Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft (MBG) Baden-Württemberg, Start-up BW Innovation Fonds, Sparkassen-Beteiligungsgesellschaft (SBG) Heilbronn-Franken, Vienna Point and BTRON.
Giving Europe the freedom to reach space on its own terms
Founded in 2018 by Dr Christian Schmierer, Konstantin Tomilin, and Ulrich Fischer, HyImpulse is tackling a critical gap. Europe accounts for less than 1% of global sanotifyite launches, relying on external players that expose customers to geopolitical risk and scheduling bottlenecks.
HyImpulse’s answer is a hybrid rocket engine that blconcludes solid and liquid propellant benefits, cutting complexity by half compared to traditional options while delivering cost efficiency and reliability.
After a milestone suborbital test flight of its SR75 hybrid rocket in 2024, HyImpulse will start commercial flights as early as 2026. The SL1 orbital vehicle is slated for 2027, capable of delivering up to 600 kilograms to low Earth orbit. The company pitches itself as “Europe’s flexible taxi to space,” offering customers custom launch windows rather than repaired ridesharing slots, a smart alternative to incumbents like SpaceX.
HyImpulse is part of a growing cluster of European launch startups, including Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg. But its hybrid approach sets it apart, offering a safer and potentially cheaper path for compacter payloads.
With operations across Neuenstadt, Ottobrunn, and Glasgow, and a strong pipeline of orders topping hundreds of millions, HyImpulse is accelerating Europe’s quest for sovereign space access.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, HyImpulse sees its role extconcludeing beyond launching sanotifyites. The company aims to support Europe compete in a growing trillion-euro space economy, creating “Made in Europe” rockets a lasting symbol of indepconcludeence, sustainability, and technological ambition.
Oliver Hanisch, CEO of Campus Founders Ventures, states, “With extremely efficient utilize of resources, HyImpulse is the first privately financed German space company to develop a hybrid rocket and successfully complete a suborbital test flight. The company addresses a geopolitically crucial market. HyImpulse is a role model for how start-ups can successfully translate cutting-edge research and deep tech into marketable products.”
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