TECH

Chinese Data-Centers-in-Space Firm Raises Fresh Funds

Published: Mar. 16, 2026 7:04 p.m. GMT+8

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Beijing Zhongke Tiansuan Technology Co. Ltd., a space-based computing infrastructure provider, said that it has raised hundreds of millions of yuan in an early-stage funding round to deploy a computing and data center into orbit.

The angel+ round was joined by a group of investors including Shanghai Future Industry Fund and Shenzhen Capital Group, with the capital raised to fund the startup’s ambitious Tiansuan project to establish a space-based computing network powered by 10,000 home-made graphics processing units (GPUs) by 2030.

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Beijing Zhongke Tiansuan raised hundreds of millions of yuan to deploy a space-based computing and data center using 10,000 home-grown GPUs by 2030.
The Tiansuan project aims for a 1 sq km solar array generating 100+ MW, 10 exa-operations/sec, and 10 Tbps laser data transfer.
Intense global competition includes recent initiatives from SpaceX, Starcloud, Google, and Chinese companies to process AI data in orbit.

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Who’s Who

Beijing Zhongke Tiansuan Technology Co. Ltd.: Beijing Zhongke Tiansuan Technology Co. Ltd. is a provider of space-based computing infrastructure. Founded in June 2024, the company secured hundreds of millions of yuan in an early-stage funding round to establish an orbital computing and data center. Their "Tiansuan project" aims to deploy 10,000 GPUs in space by 2030, supported by a 1-square-kilometer solar array. They've developed the Aurora series of satellite computing payloads, with the Aurora 5000 series planned for orbit validation this year.

Shanghai Future Industry Fund: Shanghai Future Industry Fund is an investor in Beijing Zhongke Tiansuan Technology Co. Ltd. They participated in the angel+ funding round, contributing to the startup's goal of deploying a space-based computing and data center. This investment supports the Tiansuan project, which aims to establish a space-based computing network by 2030.

Shenzhen Capital Group: Shenzhen Capital Group is an investor in Beijing Zhongke Tiansuan Technology Co. Ltd. They participated in the angel+ funding round, which raised hundreds of millions of yuan. This investment will help fund the Tiansuan project, aiming to establish a space-based computing network by 2030.

Nvidia Corp.: Nvidia Corp. is mentioned in the context of its H100 chip, which Beijing Zhongke Tiansuan Technology Co. Ltd. aims to rival with its homegrown GPUs in its upcoming Aurora 5000 series. This is part of China's effort to develop space-based computing infrastructure, aiming to overcome earthly resource constraints and compete in a global race to put AI computing assets in orbit.

SpaceX: Elon Musk's aerospace ventures, including SpaceX, are catalyzing a global race to move power-hungry AI computing infrastructure into space. In January 2026, SpaceX applied to deploy a constellation of one million data center satellites into orbit. This highlights a broader trend in the industry, where companies are aiming to relocate supercomputers to space.

Starcloud: Starcloud is a U.S. startup that sent an H100-equipped satellite into orbit in February 2026. This satellite was designed to run the Gemini large language model, demonstrating an early move in the global race to establish space-based computing infrastructure.

Google: **Google** unveiled a plan to deploy its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) into space, indicating its participation in the global race to move powerful AI computing infrastructure beyond Earth's atmosphere. This move, along with others in the sector, aims to bypass earthly electricity and water constraints.

Zhejiang Lab: Zhejiang Lab partnered with Chengdu-based satellite maker ADA Space to launch 12 computing satellites into orbit in May 2025. This initiative is part of a broader trend of Chinese firms moving computing infrastructure into space to process data generated in orbit, aiming to overcome bandwidth limitations and reduce transmission delays.

ADA Space: ADA Space, a satellite manufacturer based in Chengdu, China, partnered with Zhejiang Lab to launch 12 computing satellites into orbit in May 2025. This collaboration highlights China's efforts to advance in-orbit data processing to overcome bandwidth limitations and decrease transmission times, especially given the country's limited overseas ground data receiving stations.

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What Happened When

June 2024：: Beijing Zhongke Tiansuan Technology Co. Ltd. is founded.

May 2025：: Zhejiang Lab and ADA Space launch 12 computing satellites into orbit.

October 2025：: U.S. startup Starcloud sends an H100-equipped satellite into orbit to run the Gemini LLM, and Google unveils a plan to deploy its TPUs into space.