Varda raises $251 million to scale pharmaceutical processing in space

Varda Space Industries announced a $251 million Series D on September 30, 2026, led by Lux Capital and Natural Capital. The company says it has raised $598 million in total; reports put its valuation at about $1.6 billion.

The funding is intended to increase the pace of Varda’s orbital missions, expand pharmaceutical partnerships, and move toward making medicines in space for patients on Earth.

Varda’s spacecraft carry materials into low Earth orbit for processing in microgravity, then return them to Earth in reentry capsules. The company’s premise is that reduced effects of gravity may enable drug ingredients to crystallize into forms difficult to produce on Earth.

This is still an emerging manufacturing approach, not a proven route to approved medicines. The company’s long-term goal is to show that space-made formulations can offer practical benefits and be produced reliably.