Musk's new identity: The "Godfather of Entrepreneurship" beyond the trillion-dollar space empire

On December 31st, according to foreign media Business Insider, employees who have left SpaceX have founded 18 companies, collectively securing over $3 billion in venture capital (approximately RMB 21 billion). Moreover, the valuation of some companies has exceeded $10 billion.

Similar to the "PayPal Mafia" and the "OpenAI Mafia," the "SpaceX Mafia" is rising strongly.

SpaceX, valued at a staggering $800 billion (approximately RMB 56 trillion), seems to have become the new generation's "Whampoa Military Academy." Its founder, Elon Musk, is like a "godfather," shaping a group of apprentices who have grown under extreme engineering challenges and cost constraints.

Currently, there are 21 former members known as the "SpaceX Mafia." They are bringing their unique "rocket science" methodology to fields such as AI, aerospace, manufacturing, and even consumer sectors.

In the fields of AI and high - end manufacturing , they are developing specialized chips for AI inference (Rebellions), implanting autopilot systems in airplanes (Reliable Robotics), and building intelligent factory operating systems (First Resonance), demonstrating their pursuit of performance limits and the ability to manage complex systems.

In the aerospace sector, they are focusing on core areas such as satellite platforms (Apex, K2), on - orbit services (Argo, Impulse), and space manufacturing (Varda). Through software (Epsilon3, First Resonance), they are enhancing industry - wide collaboration and production efficiency, forming a complete matrix that covers from hardware manufacturing, operational services to software enablement.

In addition, these entrepreneurs are also eyeing vertical applications, including health management (Levels, PicnicHealth), sustainable materials (Plantd), and even retail technology (Vori) in diverse scenarios.

01.

AI and High - End Manufacturing:

Breaking through Technological Bottlenecks with Extreme Engineering Thinking

In SpaceX's engineering system, software, hardware, and manufacturing have never been separate systems. The first breakthrough points chosen by these entrepreneurs are AI computing power, automated flight, and intelligent manufacturing infrastructure.

1. Rebellions: Specializing in AI Inference Chips, Challenging NVIDIA

In September 2020, Sunghyun Park resigned from his position as a Starlink ASIC design engineer at SpaceX and founded the AI chip company Rebellions. As a leading AI chip design company in South Korea, Rebellions focuses on developing high - efficiency inference accelerators optimized for generative AI and large language models.

In February 2023, the company launched one of its core products, the ATOM chip, which is used to run computer vision rendering and chatbot AI applications. The chip is designed by Rebellions and manufactured by Samsung Electronics.

Sunghyun Park, the co - founder and CEO, said that this chip is designed for specific tasks rather than a wide range of tasks. Therefore, when performing these tasks, its power consumption is only about 20% of NVIDIA's A100 chip.

▲Sunghyun Park, the CEO of Rebellions, and his ATOM chip

Rebellions completed a Series C financing of $260 million (approximately RMB 1.82 billion) this year, with a valuation of $1.4 billion (approximately RMB 9.8 billion). Since its establishment, the company has raised over $460 million (approximately RMB 3.22 billion) in total, bringing in strategic shareholders such as Samsung Ventures, Arm, and Kindred Ventures. Currently, the company has officially launched its IPO plan.

2. Reliable Robotics: Adding Autopilot to Airplanes, Covering the Entire Flight Phase

Reliable Robotics was founded in 2017 by CEO Robert Rose and CTO Juerg Frefel. Rose served as the flight software supervisor at SpaceX for 5 years, and Frefel served as the senior hardware development manager for about 9 years.

▲Products developed by Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics develops a full - phase autopilot system that can retrofit existing airplanes, enabling autonomous operation including taxiing, takeoff, and landing. It is applied to regional freight logistics and military auxiliary flights, improving safety and reducing costs.

On December 10, 2025, Reliable Robotics announced that it had signed a contract with the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It will use its autonomous Cessna 208B Caravan aircraft to conduct operational demonstration flights at and around airports in the National Airspace System (NAS) and collect relevant data.

Currently, the company has raised over $134 million (approximately RMB 940 million) in total. The core funds came from a $100 million (approximately RMB 700 million) Series C financing led by Coatue Management in October 2021.

3. Airhart Aeronautics: Building "Simpler and Safer" Private Planes, Lowering the Flight Threshold

Nikita Ermoshkin worked as an avionics system responsible engineer at SpaceX for three years. In May 2022, he founded Airhart Aeronautics and serves as the company's CEO and CTO.

This Airhart airline develops small private planes with advanced safety systems. The company's flagship product, the Airhart Sling, has intuitive operation and a low threshold. It uses fly - by - wire technology and is expected to be delivered starting in January 2026.

▲The company's private plane, the Airhart Sling

According to the global venture capital data platform PitchBook , currently, the company's total financing is $5.06 million (approximately RMB 35.42 million), and it has received support from institutions such as Y Combinator, Liquid2 Ventures, and Soma Capital, as well as angel investors.

4. First Resonance: The Factory Intelligent System ION, Connecting All - Link Data in Manufacturing

Karan Talati worked as a software and manufacturing engineer at SpaceX for three years, responsible for the development related to rocket reusability. In 2019, Karan Talati founded First Resonance, a software company focusing on the aerospace, electric vehicle, and manufacturing fields.

The company's core business is to provide factory operating systems and intelligent manufacturing platforms. The ION Factory OS is its core product.

ION connects parts, the supply chain, production equipment, and business systems (such as ERP and PLM), helping high - tech manufacturers optimize production efficiency, achieve collaborative work, and manage complex inventories.

▲The connection and function of the ION platform with each link in the production process

Currently, the company has completed 5 rounds of financing, with a total amount of $40.8 million (approximately RMB 290 million). The investors include Blue Bear Capital, Craft Ventures, etc.

From AI chips to intelligent manufacturing systems, and then to the research and development of autopilot and new - type airplanes in the aviation field, the exploration of the "SpaceX Mafia" in the fields of AI and high - end manufacturing demonstrates the technological penetration power from the cross - border of aerospace engineering.

02.

Innovation in the Aerospace Industry Chain:

Building a Space Ecosystem from Hardware to Services

After exploring the fields of AI and high - end manufacturing, the real main battlefield of the "SpaceX Mafia" has returned to the direction they are most familiar with - space.

1. Epsilon3: Using AI Software to Manage Aerospace Processes, Improving the Collaboration Efficiency of Complex Projects

Laura Crabtree is the co - founder and CEO of Epsilon3. Before founding the company, Laura worked at SpaceX for nearly 11 years as a senior mission operations engineer.

▲Laura Crabtree, co - founder and CEO of Epsilon3

The company was founded in the United States in February 2021 and mainly provides AI - driven process management software for industries such as aerospace and aviation. The management software developed by the company has functions such as real - time progress tracking, integration of isolated systems, and role - based secure access, simplifying complex engineering and operational processes.

Epsilon3's latest round of financing was a Series A financing on June 20, 2022, with an amount of $15 million (approximately RMB 110 million). Currently, the company has raised $18.9 million (approximately RMB 130 million) through 5 rounds of financing. The investors include Y Combinator, Village Global, etc.

2. Apex Space: Mass - Producing Satellite Platforms Rapidly, Targeting the Defense and Commercial Markets

Max Benassi worked at SpaceX for six years as a senior engineer in turbomachinery and dynamic balancing. In September 2022, Benassi and others founded Apex Space in Los Angeles, USA.

The company focuses on satellite bus manufacturing and has launched a small satellite platform, providing cost - effective and rapidly deployable spacecraft for commercial and government customers, which can meet the space defense needs of the Pentagon .

▲The Aries satellite developed by Apex. The satellite weighs 200 kg including the payload and fuel.

According to a Forbes report on August 12, a satellite named ARIES, named after CEO Cinnamon's dog, was launched into space in 2024. Apex took less than 12 months from the start of research and development to the launch and plans to reach a production speed of 144 satellites per year by 2028.

The company raised $200 million (approximately RMB 1.4 billion) in April this year to improve its self - production capacity of components. The total equity and debt financing has reached $320 million (approximately RMB 2.25 billion), and the valuation has exceeded $1 billion (approximately RMB 7 billion). The investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Toyota Ventures, etc.

3. Argo Space: Building a "Space Freight Network," Undertaking Orbital Transportation and Maintenance

In 2022, the three brothers Robert Carlisle, Ryan Carlisle, and Kirby Carlisle founded Argo Space in the United States. Robert served as the director of commercial launch and national security sales at SpaceX for 5 years, Ryan served as the engineering director for 9 years, and Kirby served as an integration and test engineer for 4 years.

▲Some of the current team members of Argo Space

The company's core business is to provide space logistics services, covering air - to - ground cargo transportation, on - orbit satellite maintenance, fuel replenishment, space debris removal, etc. It aims to build a multi - mode space transportation network and become a "freight company" in space.

According to an official announcement from Argo, on June 5, 2023, the company won a first - phase contract from NASA to promote the research and development of the reusable on - orbit transportation vehicle "Argonauts."

In October 2024, Argo Space completed a seed - round financing of $7.9 million (approximately RMB 55.3 million), with a total financing of over $10 million (approximately RMB 70 million). The investors include Crosslink Capital, Boost VC, etc.

4. Impulse Space: "Last - Mile" Orbital Transportation, Aiming at Deep - Space Freight

Tom Mueller was the CTO of the propulsion system at SpaceX for nearly 19 years. Then, in 2021, Tom Mueller founded Impulse Space.