Overview

• The Series C round was led by Natural Capital and Shrug Capital with participation from Lux Capital, Peter Thiel, Khosla Ventures and Caffeinated Capital, bringing Varda’s total capital to $329 million.
• A 10,000-square-foot pharmaceutical lab in El Segundo, California will enable process engineering and selection of biologics for space-based crystallization ahead of orbital missions.
• Varda’s fourth Rocket Lab Photon mission is now in low Earth orbit with a fifth flight slated before year-end to accelerate mission cadence.
• Terrestrial sites in El Segundo and Huntsville, Alaska are being equipped for advanced microgravity research and downstream drug development.
• The company’s autonomous Photon-based system with specialized manufacturing modules and heat-shielded capsules builds on its ritonavir crystallization experiment alongside its FAA Part 450 reentry approval.