Blue Origin may need external funding to hit ambitious launch targets
He said the company needed to be “ready for external funding” and he was confident in strong interest from outside investors.
Bezos, who founded Blue Origin in 2000, is the company’s sole shareholder and its primary source of financial backing. He has largely used the sale of Amazon stock—he owns nearly 9 percent of the group, according to proxy filings—to fund the rocket maker.
Blue Origin is spending heavily as it scales operations including building an 800,000 sq ft manufacturing facility and a second launch pad in Florida. It is also investing in the testing and development of its reusable rocket booster and orbital upper stage.
The company is expected to spend roughly $4.8 billion this year, according to analysts at Capstone, a Washington-based consulting firm. It estimates the group has spent nearly $28 billion since its inception.
Josh Parker, an analyst at Capstone, said Blue Origin had faced significant...
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