Rendezvous Robotics, a space infrastructure startup founded by MIT researcher Dr. Ariel Ekblaw, Phil Frank, and Joe Landon, has emerged from stealth with $3 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Aurelia Foundry and 8090 Industries, with participation from ATX Venture Partners, Mana Ventures, and several angel investors. The company is developing modular, autonomous systems that self-assemble in orbit using its patented TESSERAE technology.
TESSERAE—short for Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments—uses flat-packed tiles equipped with processors, sensors, and batteries. These tiles autonomously dock, self-correct, and reconfigure using electromagnetic formation flying, enabling scalable and resilient infrastructure in space. The system has already completed two orbital demonstrations aboard the International Space Station and is slated for a third in early 2026.
Rendezvous aims to overcome the limitations of traditional space construction, which relies on folding hardware into rocket fairings. Its technology enables the creation of large-scale platforms for national security, communications, solar energy, and even orbital data centers. The company’s leadership includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and Nokia, bringing deep expertise in aerospace and advanced technologies.
KEY QUOTES:
“The ISS is about the size of a four-bedroom house, costing over $100 billion to build. It’s a remarkable achievement, but if we’re truly going to scale in space, we need a better way to build.”
Phil Frank, Co-Founder and CEO of Rendezvous
“It’s time to profoundly scale up our ambitions in orbit. We’re launching a new paradigm for in-space construction. This technology makes more room for humanity — space for science, for nations, for life itself.”
Dr. Ariel Ekblaw, Co-Founder of Rendezvous
“No one has done this before — intelligent assembly in orbit, proven in space and now ready to scale. This is the technology that will enable antennas larger than football fields, reconfigurable systems for defense, orbital solar farms, and even data centers in space. Launch opened access to space; Rendezvous is building what comes next.”
Joe Landon, Co-Founder and President of Rendezvous
