Stellar Alpina, a Zurich-based SpaceTech startup developing rotating detonation rocket engines, has raised €3.8 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Founderful, with participation from LP&E and additional DeepTech investors.
The funding will support the development and scaling of the company’s compact propulsion systems designed for in-orbit mobility, satellite repositioning, and future deep-space missions.
Building The Next Generation Of Space Mobility
Founded in 2026 by ARIS alumni Rick Röthlisberger, Simi Y. Wespi, Victor Elliesen, and Patrick Egli, Stellar Alpina is developing advanced propulsion infrastructure aimed at enabling more efficient movement in space after launch.
The company focuses on rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs), a propulsion technology that replaces conventional subsonic combustion with supersonic detonation to generate significantly higher energy efficiency from the same amount of propellant.
Stellar Alpina believes this technology could play a critical role in the future of orbital logistics, satellite servicing, lunar missions, and cislunar infrastructure.
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Rapid Technical Validation
Shortly after incorporation, the company completed a full testing campaign of its first propulsion system, “Engine 0,” within just 82 days.
The campaign included multiple successful hotfire tests using detonation-based combustion and marked one of Europe’s earliest commercial milestones in rotating detonation propulsion development.
The new funding will now support the next stage of engine scaling and the development of modular in-space mobility systems built around the company’s propulsion technology.
Expanding Europe’s Space Infrastructure Capabilities
According to Victor Elliesen, the next major challenge for the space economy is no longer simply reaching orbit but moving efficiently within it.
“The space economy is evolving beyond launch access,” Elliesen said.
“The next frontier is mobility after orbit insertion: transferring, repositioning, and operating assets across higher-energy orbits, cislunar space, and increasingly complex mission architectures.
We believe detonation-based propulsion can provide the breakthrough required to make rocket systems smaller, more efficient, and significantly more capable. Stellar Alpina is building the mobility infrastructure for the space between worlds.”
About Stellar Alpina
Stellar Alpina is a Zurich-based SpaceTech company developing rotating detonation rocket engines, modular in-space vehicles, and propulsion systems for orbital and lunar operations. Founded by former ARIS members, the company is focused on building scalable European space mobility infrastructure for the next generation of space missions.
