Story perspectives

EQT to Acquire Exolaunch in €300M-€1.5B Deal

6/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

EQT agreed to acquire Berlin-based Exolaunch, its first German space investment.
Exolaunch, founded in 2013 as a University of Berlin spin-out, has launched 790 satellites on 47 missions for over 200 customers and partners with SpaceX for Falcon 9 Exo-1 (2027) and Exo-2 (2028).
The lower-end €300 million-€1.5 billion deal will be discussed at the 9th Private Equity Europe Forum in London on September 15-16, where Nils Ketter called Exolaunch a “hidden gem.”

History

Historical Context

The $1 billion Google-Fidelity injection into SpaceX in January 2015 marked the first large private-equity stake in a launch provider, ending an era when launch financing totaled only $1.8 billion in venture capital that year. That precedent spurred later deals such as EQT’s €300 million-€1.5 billion bid for Berlin-based Exolaunch, as Europe seeks to counter SpaceX-driven price pressure on Arianespace and ESA.

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Story summary

EQT agreed to acquire Berlin-based Exolaunch, its first German space investment.
Exolaunch, founded in 2013 as a University of Berlin spin-out, has launched 790 satellites on 47 missions for over 200 customers and partners with SpaceX for Falcon 9 Exo-1 (2027) and Exo-2 (2028).
The lower-end €300 million-€1.5 billion deal will be discussed at the 9th Private Equity Europe Forum in London on September 15-16, where Nils Ketter called Exolaunch a “hidden gem.”

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