Rendezvous Robotics, a breakthrough space infrastructure company pioneering modular, autonomous in-orbit assembly, today announced the close of its Pre-Seed round and emergence from stealth. Its patented TESSERAE technology was invented at MIT by Dr. Ariel Ekblaw, incubated at the Aurelia Institute, and spun out as Rendezvous, co-founded by Ekblaw alongside Phil Frank and Joe Landon.
The leadership team brings experience from SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and Nokia — spanning aerospace, telecom, and advanced technology — to enable the first-of-its-kind development of large-scale infrastructure built in orbit.
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For more than six decades, space infrastructure has been limited by what can be folded up to fit inside rocket fairings. Rendezvous is redefining what’s possible by launching modular tiles to assemble systems and infrastructure in space. Its patented flat-packed modular tiles and autonomous swarm robotics assemble directly in orbit using electromagnetic formation flying. The autonomous modules dock, correct mistakes, and can reconfigure over time — creating infrastructure beyond what is currently available: scalable, reconfigurable, and resilient platforms for national security, commerce, and exploration.
The system builds on years of research, testing, and demonstrations – from parabolic flights to Blue Origin’s New Shepard, to two missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with NASA support. Having proven performance in orbit, Rendezvous is now advancing toward large-scale systems designed to self-assemble, self-correct, and endure in the harshest space environments.
Rendezvous has secured $3M in pre-seed funding led by Aurelia Foundry and 8090 Industries, with participation from ATX Venture Partners, Mana Ventures, and a group of other significant angel investors. This initial raise fuels team expansion and accelerates the transition from proven demonstrations to large-scale orbital platforms. The company expects to share additional funding details in the coming weeks.
Looking ahead, Rendezvous will demonstrate its 5th-generation technology on the ISS in early 2026 — its third orbital demonstration and a milestone toward building large mission-specific systems and infrastructure directly in space.
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