Stardust Raises $60M to Advance Solar Geoengineering Technology for Climate Cooling
Stardust Solutions, a for‑profit Israeli‑U.S. climate technology startup focused on developing solar geoengineering technology to help cool the planet, has secured $60 million in venture capital funding in its largest financing round to date. The funding brings the company’s total capital raised to roughly $75 million and will support research and development of its reflective aerosol technology and early field testing plans, positioning Stardust at the forefront of a controversial new segment of climate tech.
Founded in 2023 and incorporated in the United States while headquartered near Tel Aviv, Stardust Solutions is led by physicists with government research backgrounds who are pursuing a commercially scaled form of stratospheric aerosol injection — a method of reflecting sunlight away from Earth’s surface to reduce global warming. The company’s leadership emphasises that its technology will only be deployed under formal government regulatory frameworks and aims to secure patents on its proprietary materials and delivery systems before seeking contracts with national actors to conduct atmospheric experiments.
The most recent funding round was led by Lowercarbon Capital, a Wyoming‑based climate‑focused venture capital firm co‑founded by investor Chris Sacca, known for backing technologies aimed at combating climate change. Alongside Lowercarbon Capital, the investment syndicate included backing from Exor, the diversified Dutch holding company controlled by the Agnelli family. The round also saw participation from a diverse array of venture firms including Future Ventures, Never Lift Ventures, Starlight Ventures, Nebular, Lauder Partners, Attestor, Kindred Capital, Orion Global Advisors, Future Positive Capital, and Earth.now, reflecting broad investor interest from Silicon Valley to Europe in Stardust’s unorthodox climate technology proposition.
Stardust’s approach seeks to mimic the cooling effects of volcanic eruptions, where high‑altitude particles reflect a portion of incoming sunlight, temporarily lowering global temperatures. The company claims its engineered particles are designed to be inert, non‑accumulative in ecosystems, and safer than traditional sulfur dioxide aerosols — though the exact composition remains confidential as it seeks protective intellectual property rights. Execution of this technology in real‑world conditions would involve deploying reflective particles from airborne platforms into the stratosphere, potentially beginning with controlled experiments in 2026, according to statements from company executives.
Investors in the round see Stardust as a pioneer in an emerging commercial sector linking climate intervention with advanced engineering and private capital. Lowercarbon Capital, for example, has positioned itself as a major backer of technologies that aim to address environmental tipping points ranging from greenhouse gas removal to climate adaptation tools. Exor’s involvement underscores interest from strategic industrial investors willing to support high‑risk, high‑impact technologies with the potential for systemic change.
Despite the financial backing, Stardust’s technology and business model remain subject to intense debate within scientific, policy, and environmental communities. Solar geoengineering — a field that includes stratospheric aerosol injection — is largely unregulated at international levels, and many experts argue it raises significant ethical, governance, environmental, and geopolitical concerns. Critics highlight that altering global radiation balance could have unpredictable impacts on weather systems, agriculture, and ecosystems, and they caution against private firms advancing such technologies without clear international oversight or social license.
Stardust has acknowledged the need for regulatory frameworks and public engagement as it moves forward, pledging to publish scientific papers on its technology and engage with governments and research institutions. The company’s leaders maintain that commercially‑driven innovation can accelerate climate solutions in ways that traditional public research has not, particularly given the urgency of rising global temperatures.
As of late 2025, Stardust Solutions is still in the development and testing phase, with intentions to begin controlled outdoor experiments by spring 2026. The $60 million round puts Stardust at the center of a nascent industry where private capital, climate science, and geopolitical stakes intersect. For investors who backed the round, the deployment of sunlight‑reflecting technology — if ever sanctioned by governments — represents a long‑term opportunity to influence how humanity manages the planet’s energy budget in the face of accelerating climate change.
Overall, Stardust’s fundraising success underscores not only a growing investor appetite for climate intervention technologies but also the broader tensions between innovation, regulation, and ethical considerations in deploying tools that could literally reshape the Earth’s atmosphere.
