Madrid-based Orbital Paradigm, a SpaceTech startup developing reusable orbital re-entry capsules, has raised €470k from fellow Spanish investment platform Akka.
The investment forms part of a €2 million funding round, currently in its first phase, and includes co-investment from Demium Capital, Starburst – a space technology-focused European fund – and id4 Ventures.
Javier Desantes, CEO of Akka Spain, framed the move as part of the platform’s commitment to giving private investors access to high-impact deeptech opportunities: “Orbital Paradigm represents a differential bet on the invisible infrastructure that will make the orbital economy possible.”
Founded in 2023 by aerospace engineer Francesco Cacciatore, Orbital Paradigm is tackling a pressing bottlenecks in space exploration: how to bring valuable materials back to Earth from orbit. With over 15 years’ experience working on European Space Agency (ESA) missions, including Space Rider and MARCOPOLO-R, Cacciatore brings technical expertise to a market segment that is still nascent in Europe.
Orbital Paradigm’s key innovation is a fully autonomous, reusable capsule featuring a ceramic heat shield capable of returning fragile materials- like proteins, pharmaceuticals, and microgravity-manufactured structures.
The company’s flagship prototype, dubbed “KID”, is in its final stages of development and is scheduled for a first flight at the end of 2025. Notably, this first mission is already fully pre-sold, with the second flight 80% booked. In total, Orbital Paradigm has signed Letters of Intent and pre-contracts with 18 commercial clients, with a combined value of €81 million.
This commercial traction, along with the company’s technical edge, was a major driver behind Akka’s decision to invest. According to the firm, Orbital Paradigm addresses a significant strategic gap: while US players like Inversion Space and Space Forge are gaining ground, Europe currently lacks private-sector leaders in orbital return logistics.
The investment committee at Akka – which includes Desantes, Thomas Rebaud, and Pedro Buerbaum, also Co-founders of the platform – highlighted several reasons behind the deal:
- An early-stage entry into a potentially €300 billion market over the next decade
- A standout, validated technological approach with proprietary navigation software and autonomous marine recovery
- A technical team with backgrounds at SENER, Deimos, and multiple DeepTech ventures.
With this funding, Orbital Paradigm looks to benefit from Europe’s growing interest in space-based industries such as BioTech, microgravity manufacturing, and advanced materials testing.
Its goal of “democratising space access” through cost-effective, frequent, and reliable returns could reshape how orbital research and production ecosystems evolve.
“We want anyone to be able to invest in companies building the future,” said Desantes. “Orbital Paradigm represents exactly that: an ambitious vision, proprietary technology, an elite team, and a global market waiting for solutions like this.”
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/08/spains-orbital-paradigm-is-currently-raising-a-e2-million-round-for-its-orbital-re-entry-capsules-with-e470k-already-secured/
