Seattle-based space resources company Interlune is pursuing additional investment to advance its efforts to locate and harvest lunar materials for return to Earth, with helium-3 as its initial target resource.
Details of the fundraising emerged through a Securities and Exchange Commission filing released this week. The company is seeking $5 million through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity, a contractual structure that grants investors the option to obtain company equity at a future date.
According to Wednesday’s preliminary filing, Interlune had secured $500,000 from six investors, though their identities were not disclosed in the documentation.
CEO Rob Meyerson explained in a written statement that the SAFE funding would facilitate the company’s readiness for upcoming lunar operations.
“Interlune has elected to raise $5 million on a Simple Agreement for Future Equity from existing and new investors to advance key technical milestones ahead of its next priced round,” Meyerson stated. “We have several significant projects in the works, which we’re excited to announce shortly.”
Established in 2020, the startup announced an $18 million seed funding round in 2024. The company’s founding team includes Meyerson, former president of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space company; Gary Lai, who previously held the position of chief architect for Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle; and Harrison Schmitt, an Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist who walked on the moon and has long advocated for lunar helium-3 extraction.
This rare isotope of helium exists in greater concentrations on the lunar surface than on Earth. Applications for helium-3 include serving as a coolant in quantum computing systems, functioning as material for neutron radiation detection equipment, and potentially fueling next-generation fusion reactors. In October of last year, Pulsar Helium announced finding a substantial helium-3 deposit at its Topaz Project location in Minnesota.
Market estimates value helium-3 at up to $20 million per kilogram. Interlune has established agreements with Bluefors, the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Energy, and Maybell Quantum Industries to develop extraction technology for lunar helium-3 and ultimately provide the isotope for Earth-based uses.
The company’s initial lunar mission involves a collaboration with Astrolab to deploy a multispectral camera on the moon’s surface to search for helium-3 deposits. Current plans schedule this mission for launch during the upcoming summer months.
The new funding represents a strategic step for Interlune as it works toward making lunar resource extraction commercially viable. The company’s approach centers on identifying valuable materials on the moon that have applications in cutting-edge technologies on Earth, particularly in the quantum computing and fusion energy sectors.
With its experienced leadership team drawing from both the commercial space industry and lunar science expertise, Interlune aims to pioneer the emerging field of space resource utilization. The company’s focus on helium-3 reflects the isotope’s scarcity on Earth and its growing importance for advanced technological applications.
As Interlune advances its technical preparations and secures additional capital, the company positions itself at the forefront of efforts to make the moon not just a destination for exploration, but a source of materials that could support technological advancement on Earth.