by SpaceX is preparing for the next investment round, planning to raise an additional $ 500 million to $ 1 billion (at the rate of $ 270 per share). This will increase the valuation of the market value of Elon Musk’s company to $ 44 billion, making it the third largest market capitalization of a non-public (closed joint stock company) company in the world. This was recently reported by CNBC, citing several sources familiar with the situation.
At an estimate of $ 44 billion, SpaceX will be second only to Chinese conglomerates Didi and Bytedance (developed by TikTok).
SpaceX is one of the most highly regarded private companies in the world, and with its steady capital ramps up, SpaceX is considered one of the most sought-after shares of any IPO company.
During the last round in March 2020, SpaceX raised $ 500 million and received a new estimate of $ 36 billion.The total volume of external investments in SpaceX over the entire period of the company’s existence, according to Morgan Stanley, is $ 3.5 billion.
Previously, SpaceX was invested by the Founders Fund, Google, Valor Equity Partners, as well as the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Who will become the lead investor of the new round is anyone’s guess.
According to the interlocutors of the publication, SpaceX plans to close the new round no earlier than two months later. Separately, it is stipulated that the terms of the deal may still change depending on market conditions.
SpaceX is currently focused on three key projects:
Crew Dragon manned spacecraft – SpaceX Demo-2’s current mission is a test before full-scale operation of Crew Dragon begins (NASA plans to return Crew Dragon Demo-2 ship with a crew to Earth on August 2), which in the future is planned to be used for tourist flights into space. To date, SpaceX has announced two such missions (1 and 2) – both slated for 2021 – the Starlink Global Satellite Internet, which should be operational in the US and Canada by the end of this year. The tenth launch is scheduled for July 31 in the interests of the Starlink project – another 57 Internet satellites will be sent into orbit as part of the Starlink 9 v1.0 mission and two auxiliary satellites BlackSky Global 7 and 8 under the SmallSat Rideshare Program. To date, the orbital constellation of Starlink satellites totals almost 540 pieces, and Elon Musk previously said that at least 780 satellites are required for normal operation of the network. SpaceX previously launched the Starlink website, and has begun accepting applications for beta testing – due to begin this month or next – an ambitious project of Starship, a two-stage super-heavy reusable rocket designed to transport people and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars. By the way, the first suborbital test flight of the Starship SN5 prototype may take place in the coming weeks.
SpaceX estimates the satellite Internet market at $ 1 trillion, CNBC notes.
It remains to add that the possibility of buying SpaceX shares on the stock exchange can not yet be dreamed of, since the IPO will not take place before the SpaceX Starship interplanetary spacecraft begins to regularly transport people to Mars and back to Earth. But on the other hand, in the foreseeable future, SpaceX plans to separate the Starlink global satellite Internet project into a separate company and bring it to the stock exchange.
Source: CNBC
