Privatized space launches were a hot topic in news cycles this year, with success from SpaceX and private launches of billionaires Bezos and Branson. However, space didn’t just move headlines this year, it moved bottom lines as well. Privatized space infrastructure investment drew $3.9 billion in 2021Q3, setting an annual record of $10.3 billion. Space investments are broadly divided up into infrastructure (which posted the record year), distribution, and application. Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC) were the predominant factor in space investments. The capital was raised in private markets and mergers to go public happened frequently this quarter by Rocket Lab, Spire Global, BlackSky, Momentous, and Redwire. The trend won’t stop this quarter as more deals SPAC deals are expected to place and set more records in Q4. Space investment has raised nearly $231.2 billion in private equity since 2012.

FINSUM: While a lot of major deals are done in private equity, retail investors can look to ETFs like ARKX to invest in this growing market segment.