Aetherflux, a San Carlos-based space startup led by Robinhood co‑founder Baiju Bhatt, is putting down roots in Seattle with a new hub it describes as a core center for satellite development. The move drops the Bay Area company straight into the Pacific Northwest’s growing aerospace cluster as it pushes ahead on Galactic Brain, an orbital data-center constellation that Aetherflux says will host AI compute in space and beam solar energy down to compact ground stations.
As reported by GeekWire, the company recently posted on LinkedIn that it is hiring across all disciplines, from engineering to operations and labeled the new Seattle office a core development center. GeekWire also notes that Aetherflux lists offices in San Carlos and Washington, D.C., and says its team includes veterans of Robinhood, SpaceX, NASA/JPL, Anduril and the U.S. Navy.
Funding and timeline
The company raised a $50 million Series A in April 2025, bringing its disclosed funding to roughly $60 million, according to TechCrunch. TechCrunch reported that Index Ventures led the round, with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Aetherflux is putting that capital toward prototypes and an early low-Earth-orbit demonstration planned for 2026, with a first commercial Galactic Brain node targeted for 2027.
What Galactic Brain is
Aetherflux describes Galactic Brain as a constellation of small orbital data centers that pair solar arrays with GPU-class compute and use infrared power beaming to send energy to compact ground receivers. In a company announcement via Aetherflux, the firm set a Q1 2027 target for its first commercial node and argued the approach puts the sunlight next to the silicon and skips the power grid entirely. The company pitches the system for high-intensity AI workloads as well as military and disaster-relief applications.
Why Seattle
Seattle already hosts major aerospace employers and a dense satellite hardware supply chain, making it a natural hunting ground for engineers and contractors. GeekWire points to local activity ranging from Blue Origin to smaller startups, and notes that Amazon builds satellites nearby in Kirkland, all of which could make life easier for a new development hub.
Military interest and partnerships
Government funding is part of the Aetherflux story. TechCrunch reports that the company received money from the Department of Defense’s Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund to advance space solar power for military use. The Pentagon is interested in resilient, portable energy sources for contested or remote operations, a need that lines up with Aetherflux’s stated mission.
Jobs and next steps
The company is actively recruiting engineers, operations staff and other roles, and its website highlights open positions with links to a careers page at Aetherflux. Ahead of its planned demonstration launch, the startup is juggling hardware integration, testing and hiring across its California, D.C. and new Seattle teams.
Big picture
Aetherflux’s push fits into a broader bet that orbital compute and power will become critical infrastructure for future AI and defense needs, a trend covered by industry outlets including Forbes. For now, the company is leaning on fresh capital, defense-linked funding and cross-country hiring as it aims for a milestone space demo and a 2027 commercial debut for Galactic Brain.
