SPACE WALKER Closes an Additional US$4.5 million* Completing Seed Funding Round at US$10 million*.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SPACE WALKER
Closes an Additional US$4.5 million*
Completing Seed Funding Round at US$10 million*.
Funds applied towards development of suborbital spaceplane
and bolstering business of the Composite Materials Department.
[TOKYO, JAPAN, March 31st, 2022] SPACE WALKER Inc. announced it recently closed an additional US$4.5 million (JPY 550 million)* through convertible equity and bonds, completing its Seed Funding Round mainly from individual angel investors through March 2022. This brings the total amount of funds raised to US$10 million (JPY 1.2 billion)*.
*Calculation is based on based on the Bloomberg Generic Composite rate (BGN) 03/31/2021 USD-JPY 121.07
■Background and Purpose of Fund Procurement
SPACE WALKER is a university startup that researches and develops winged reusable suborbital spaceplanes for sustainable space travel and transportation. The company envisions a future where everyone can travel between earth and space as freely as riding a commercial airplane today.
In July 2021, the company launched the Composites Material Department. SPACE WALKER’s world-class lightweight ultra-high pressure gas composite vessels developed for spacecraft are attracting attention not only in space commerce but also among terrestrial, naval and air commerce as ultra high-pressure vessels for hydrogen, a key element to build supply chain platforms for a decarbonized society.
The funds raised will be used for the technology demonstration of the suborbital spaceplane, development of commercial aircraft, and capital investment in the newly launched composite materials business, as well as for working capital such as personnel reinforcement and advertising expenses associated with aforementioned activities, to further business expansion.
■Message from angel investor, Mr. Kenji Fuma
・Mr. Kenji Fuma（Neural Inc.)
With my background being involved in rulemaking for both sustainability and space resources development, I see that SPACE WALKER is ahead of the curve in integrating these two very different areasーtowards leadership on the global stage, not only a top leader in JapanーI look forward to an unprecedented leap forward.
– Kenji Fuma Biography –
Mr. Kenji Fuma is a founder and CEO of Neural Inc, a strategy and management consulting firm in corporate sustainability and ESG investment, established in 2013. Mr. Fuma obtains first-rate and up-to-date knowledge and intelligence on international disclosure frameworks, sustainability guidelines, international treaties, domestic legislations, and company and strategies. He manages the companies online news website, “Sustainable Japan.”
As a world’s leading expert of responsible business and sustainable finance, Mr. Fuma has been a committee member of the Socio-Economic Panel of the Hague International Space Governance Working Group since 2018, which is an international rule developer for space resource mining and orbit-operations. Mr. Fuma is also a selection board member for Japan’s Green Bond Award organized by the Japan’s Ministry of Environment.
Mr. Fuma has presented lectures on sustainable finance and sustainability management at the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group and in many industrial conferences, covering a variety of agendas from climate change and water stress to human rights, diversity & inclusion, cybersecurity, corruption, and corporate governance. Mr. Fuma is also a distinguished contributor to Forbes and Nikkei.
■Message from CEO Akihide Manabe
In 2021, our Pledge to Sustainable Space Development renewed our awareness of pressing environmental and social issues not only in outer space, but also here on earth. This round of funds has enabled us to establish a composites business department, presenting an opportunity to contribute to the current decarbonization momentum. SPACE WALKER’s suborbital spaceplane which is under development is a reusable rocket that will be propelled with clean fuel. We will further refine our space technology to bring it down to fulfill our role in society here on earthーin air, on land and at seaーto grow into a company that will flourish for generations. Thank you for your continued support.
SPACE WALKER Inc. (Tokyo Japan, CEO Akihide Manabe. Hereinabove referred to as SPACE WALKER) is a university startup conducting research and development of winged reusable suborbital space planes. The company envisions sustainable commercial space transportation for all, as familiar and accessible as commercial air travel today. For more information, please visit https://www.space-walker.co.jp/en
Contact: Momoyo Kamimura
Phone (Office) : +81-3-6435-7359
Email: pr@space-walker.co.jp
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