Scotland-based rocket company Skyrora has secured a major boost in its latest funding round, thanks to a strategic investment from Ukrainian entrepreneur Max Polyakov. The new capital strengthens Skyrora’s central position in the UK’s plans to establish its own space launch capability.
Closing the UK Launch Gap
This investment marks a significant moment for both Skyrora and the UK space sector. While Britain has excelled in manufacturing and satellite operations, it has long lacked a homegrown launch capability. Now, with Skyrora’s infrastructure in Scotland and Polyakov’s global network of high-tech companies, that gap is beginning to close.
Skyrora’s Growing Launch Capabilities
Skyrora is headquartered in Glasgow and operates facilities across Europe. The company develops rockets that offer rapid and flexible access to orbit, a vital service for the expanding small satellite industry. Skyrora’s innovation-driven approach and focus on sustainability have already made it a leading force in building the UK’s modern launch ecosystem.
Beyond technical progress, Skyrora also stands out for its commitment to sustainability. The company’s proprietary Ecosene fuel, made from unrecyclable plastic waste, offers a cleaner alternative to conventional rocket propellants and embodies a circular economy approach to innovation. Most of Skyrora’s suppliers are also based locally, helping reduce emissions. Meanwhile, the company’s employees actively engage in STEM education across Scotland.
Historic Launch Licence
In August 2025, Skyrora achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first UK rocket manufacturer to receive a launch licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The licence allows the launch of the Skylark L, a suborbital rocket designed to test technologies for the company’s upcoming Skyrora XL orbital vehicle. This success followed years of intensive research, engine testing, and flight trials, including a 2022 launch from Iceland that showcased Skyrora’s cleaner, 3D-printed hybrid engine.
Sovereign Launch for the UK
Skyrora CEO Volodymyr Levykin described the licence as “a crucial step toward enabling sovereign launch capabilities for the UK.” The achievement also supports the National Space Strategy’s goals of turning Britain into a global hub for satellite launches, research, and data services. The Scottish Government hailed it as a “landmark moment” for the nation’s rapidly expanding space industry.
Backed by the European Space Agency’s Boost! Programme and the UK Space Agency’s LaunchUK initiative, Skyrora is preparing for its first orbital launch. According to experts, this milestone would restore Britain’s independent launch capability for the first time since the Black Arrow programme of the 1970s.
Polyakov’s Global Vision
Max Polyakov’s involvement brings not only funding but also a shared vision. He has long championed the idea that space technologies must address global challenges such as climate change and resource management. According to Polyakov, “There is a misconception that by investing in the space sector, we are ignoring significant issues on Earth. But we are no longer going to space just for the achievement: we are going there to seek climate solutions, and we must proactively minimise our impact.” His philosophy perfectly aligns with Skyrora’s mission to make space activity a driver of sustainability on Earth.
Max Polyakov, a Ukrainian-born entrepreneur and economist, is the founder of Noosphere Ventures, a US-based investment fund focused on space and advanced technologies. Through Noosphere, he has built a vertically integrated ecosystem that includes companies like EOS Data Analytics, Dragonfly Aerospace, and SETS.
Building a Global Space Network
Firefly Aerospace and EOS Data Analytics, both founded by Polyakov, have already gained international recognition, and for the Ukrainian entrepreneur, the partnership with Skyrora represents more than a business deal. As early internet pioneers built the foundations of the modern digital economy, today’s rocket manufacturers are constructing the orbital highways that will carry the next generation of innovation, from climate monitoring to global connectivity and data-driven services.