Last week, Andreesen Horowitz's team presented a market segmentation on space investments with a post analyzing the Space Industry.   

The A16z team broke the space industry into 

• Launch
• Satellites
• Manufacturing and software
• In-space services

and highlighted several companies to keep an eye on in each segment.   It's very similar to the Seraphim Space segmentation infographic we featured last month.  

Investment Thesis
Part of the A16z potential investment thesis is building rockets and satellites requires precise engineering and advanced manufacturing facilities with many suppliers.  SpaceX initially did everything in-house, but now an ecosystem of manufacturing and software companies serves the space economy. Software is a key enabler for space, with SpaceX inspiring a lineage of space software companies. Commercial space industry SaaS is now available and an exciting space to watch for investment potential.

The A16z site does say the post does not represent any current or future investments with a pretty lengthy disclaimer at the bottom of the post, but one would think the intensive research and write-up was not simply busywork.  Nevertheless, we love their infographic and analysis. 

Seraphim has recently released an infographic that illustrates their new ecosystem map for 2023, which focuses on the “in-space economy”. The map encompasses a wide range of areas, including the various services and infrastructure that help to support satellites in space, the lunar economy, the exploration and mining of space, and in-space manufacturing.


Breaking it Down:
As identified by Seraphim, they have zeroed in on 6 major sectors in the Space Economy Ecosystem:

• In Space Services 
• Space Infrastructure
• Lunar Economy
• In Space R&D & Manufacturing
• Manned Spaceflight 
• Space Exploration & Utilisation

Services are at the forefront of their comprehensive list.  Seraphim further broke down this sector into Orbital Tugs, In-Space Communications, Space Situational Awareness, Debris Removal, and Orbital Servicing.  As the space economy is expanding and maturing, more services related to maintaining existing spacecraft and missions will be coming online.  


Lunar Economy
Artemis I's successful mission last year is paving the way for new business prospects, as a tangible lunar economy is taking shape.  Landers, habitats, and lunar resource utilization are becoming very real and investable opportunities.  

Improving Life in Space
Another area of note, is the Pharma, Life Sciences, & Bioengineering subsection under the In-Space Manufacturing.  Over 21 companies are working towards drug development, tissue growth, and the advantages of manufacturing in space.  These advances could potentially unlock an entire industry or even a new drug discovery.

Seraphim believes these sectors indicate the greatest opportunities, and now is the right time to invest.  Their space index work is based on a variety of factors, and these have shown the highest growth in investment.  


For a closer look, and to see the companies disrupting every sector, download their free report.

If you'd like a handy, 16x9 desktop background version, you can pick that up here.