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kē jì
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Starcloud (orbital AI startup)
Starcloud
Starcloud
to complete
wánchéng
完成
$170 million
yī diǎn qī yì měiyuán
1.7亿美元
funding round
róngzī
融资
，
to plan
jìhuà
计划
in / at
zài
在
outer space
tàikōng
太空
to build
jiànshè
建设
artificial intelligence
réngōng zhìnéng
人工智能
data center
shùjù zhōngxīn
数据中心
。

the United States
Měiguó
美国
startup company
chūchuàng gōngsī
初创公司
Starcloud (orbital AI startup)
Starcloud
Starcloud
to announce
xuānbù
宣布
to complete
wánchéng
完成
$170 million
yī diǎn qī yì měiyuán
1.7亿美元
Series A funding round
A lún róngzī
A轮融资
，
valuation
gūzhí
估值
to reach
dá
达
$1.1 billion
shíyī yì měiyuán
11亿美元
，
to plan
jìhuà
计划
in
zài
在
Earth orbit
dìqiú guǐdào
地球轨道
above / on
shàng
上
to build
jiànzào
建造
solar-powered
tàiyángnéng
太阳能
data center
shùjù zhōngxīn
数据中心
。

March 30, 2026 at 6:00 PM

the United States
Měiguó
美国
startup company
chūchuàng gōngsī
初创公司
Starcloud (orbital AI startup)
Starcloud
Starcloud
on (formal date marker)
yú
于
March 30
sān yuè sānshí rì
3月30日
to announce
xuānbù
宣布
to complete
wánchéng
完成
$170 million
yī diǎn qī yì měiyuán
1.7亿美元
Series A funding round
A lún róngzī
A轮融资
，
valuation
gūzhí
估值
to reach
dá
达
$1.1 billion
shíyī yì měiyuán
11亿美元
，
to become
chéngwéi
成为
Y Combinator (startup accelerator)
Y Combinator
Y Combinator
in history
lìshǐ shàng
历史上
fastest
zuì kuài
最快
to advance to
jìnshēng
晋升
unicorn (billion-dollar startup)
dújiǎoshòu
独角兽
structural particle
de
的
company
gōngsī
公司
。
this funding round
cǐ lún róngzī
此轮融资
by (passive agent marker)
yóu
由
Benchmark (venture capital firm)
Benchmark
Benchmark
to lead the investment round
lǐngtóu
领投
，
technology investment institution
kējì tóuzī jīgòu
科技投资机构
EQT (private equity firm)
EQT
EQT
to participate in
cānyù
参与
to co-invest
gēntóu
跟投
。
Starcloud
Starcloud
Starcloud
to plan
jìhuà
计划
in
zài
在
Earth orbit
dìqiú guǐdào
地球轨道
on / above
shàng
上
to build
jiànzào
建造
solar-powered
tàiyángnéng
太阳能
data center
shùjù zhōngxīn
数据中心
，
in order to
yǐ
以
to address / to resolve
jiějué
解决
artificial intelligence
réngōng zhìnéng
人工智能
computing power
suànlì
算力
rapid growth
kuàisù zēngzhǎng
快速增长
to bring about
dài lái
带来
structural particle
de
的
energy bottleneck
néngyuán píngjǐng
能源瓶颈
。
the company
gāi gōngsī
该公司
to state
biǎoshì
表示
，
space orbit
tàikōng guǐdào
太空轨道
to possess
jùbèi
具备
nearly / almost
jìnhū
近乎
unlimited
wúxiàn
无限
structural particle
de
的
solar energy
tàiyángnéng
太阳能
supply
gōngjǐ
供给
，
at the same time
tóngshí
同时
can / is able to
kě
可
to make use of
lìyòng
利用
the vacuum of space
tàikōng zhēnkōng
太空真空
naturally
zìrán
自然
to dissipate heat
sànrè
散热
，
without needing
bù xūyào
不需要
water resources
shuǐ zīyuán
水资源
cooling
lěngquè
冷却
。
November 2025
èr líng èr wǔ nián shíyī yuè
2025年11月
，
Starcloud
Starcloud
Starcloud
with the help of
jièzhù
借助
SpaceX (rocket company)
SpaceX
SpaceX
rocket
huǒjiàn
火箭
successfully
chénggōng
成功
disposal particle
jiāng
将
one (satellite, classifier)
yī kē
一颗
equipped with
dāzài
搭载
NVIDIA (chip company)
Yīngwéidá
英伟达
H100 (AI chip model)
H100
H100
chip / microchip
xīnpiàn
芯片
structural particle
de
的
satellite
wèixīng
卫星
to send into
sòng rù
送入
orbit
guǐdào
轨道
，
and furthermore
bìng
并
for the first time
shǒucì
首次
in
zài
在
outer space
tàikōng
太空
within
zhōng
中
to complete
wánchéng
完成
completion particle
le
了
large language model
dàxíng yǔyán móxíng
大型语言模型
structural particle
de
的
training
xùnliàn
训练
。
it is reported that
jùxī
据悉
，
Starcloud-2 (second satellite)
Starcloud-2
Starcloud-2
satellite
wèixīng
卫星
is planned to
jìhuà
计划
in (formal date marker)
yú
于
October 2026
èr líng èr liù nián shí yuè
2026年10月
to launch
fāshè
发射
，
will
jiāng
将
to carry / to be equipped with
dāzài
搭载
including
bāokuò
包括
NVIDIA
Yīngwéidá
英伟达
Blackwell (NVIDIA chip architecture)
Blackwell
Blackwell
chip
xīnpiàn
芯片
included within
zài nèi
在内
structural particle
de
的
multiple
duō gè
多个
GPU (graphics processing unit)
GPU
GPU
。
the company
gōngsī
公司
chief executive officer
shǒuxí zhíxíng guān
首席执行官
to state
biǎoshì
表示
，
given / under
zài
在
ground-based / terrestrial
dìmiàn
地面
energy infrastructure
néngyuán jīchǔ shèshī
能源基础设施
increasingly strained
rì qū jǐnzhāng
日趋紧张
structural particle
de
的
against the backdrop of
bèijǐng xià
背景下
，
disposal particle
jiāng
将
artificial intelligence
réngōng zhìnéng
人工智能
computing power
suànlì
算力
to migrate
qiānyí
迁移
to / toward
zhì
至
outer space
tàikōng
太空
is
shì
是
to break through
tūpò
突破
energy bottleneck
néngyuán píngjǐng
能源瓶颈
structural particle
de
的
key approach
guānjiàn lùjìng
关键路径
。
research institutions
yánjiū jīgòu
研究机构
to forecast
yùcè
预测
，
global
quánqiú
全球
in-orbit
zài guǐ
在轨
data center
shùjù zhōngxīn
数据中心
market size
shìchǎng guīmó
市场规模
will
jiāng
将
from
cóng
从
2025
èr líng èr wǔ nián
2025年
structural particle
de
的
$471 million
sì diǎn qī yī yì měiyuán
4.71亿美元
to grow to
zēngzhǎng zhì
增长至
2035
èr líng sān wǔ nián
2035年
structural particle
de
的
approximately
yuē
约
$39 billion
sānbǎi jiǔshí yì měiyuán
390亿美元
。

New Words

chūchuàng gōngsī
初创公司
startup company
róngzī
融资
fundraising
gūzhí
估值
valuation
dújiǎoshòu
独角兽
unicorn
tàiyángnéng
太阳能
solar power
shùjù zhōngxīn
数据中心
data center
wèixīng
卫星
satellite
xīnpiàn
芯片
chip
suànlì
算力
computing power
néngyuán píngjǐng
能源瓶颈
energy bottleneck

News in English

Science & Technology

Starcloud Raises $170 Million to Build AI Data Centers in Space

US startup Starcloud announced it raised $170 million in a Series A round at a $1.1 billion valuation, with plans to build solar-powered data centers in Earth orbit to ease the energy strain of rising AI computing demand.

US startup company Starcloud announced the completion of $170 million Series A funding on March 30, achieving a valuation of $1.1 billion and becoming the fastest company in Y Combinator history to reach unicorn status.

This funding round was led by venture capital firm Benchmark, with technology investment institution EQT participating as a co-investor.

Starcloud plans to build solar-powered data centers in Earth orbit to address the energy bottleneck caused by rapid growth in artificial intelligence computing power.

The company states that space orbits possess nearly unlimited solar energy supply, and can naturally dissipate heat using the vacuum of space without requiring water resources for cooling.

In November 2025, Starcloud successfully deployed a satellite equipped with NVIDIA H100 chips into orbit with SpaceX rockets, and for the first time completed large language model training in outer space.

According to reports, Starcloud-2 satellite is planned for launch in October 2026 and will carry multiple GPUs including NVIDIA Blackwell chips.

The company CEO stated that with increasingly strained ground-based energy infrastructure, migrating artificial intelligence computing power to space is the key approach to breaking through energy bottlenecks.

Research institutions forecast that the global in-orbit data center market size will grow from $471 million in 2025 to approximately $39 billion by 2035.

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Píngguǒ
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qǐsù
起诉
OpenAI (AI company)
OpenAI
OpenAI
，
to accuse / to charge
zhǐkòng
指控
it / the company (formal)
qí
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to steal / to misappropriate
qièqǔ
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hardware
yìngjiàn
硬件
trade secrets / confidential business information
shāngyè jīmì
商业机密
。

Apple Sues OpenAI Alleging Hardware Trade Secret Theft

Tencent (tech company)
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in
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Wēixìn
微信
to launch / roll out
tuīchū
推出
artificial intelligence
réngōng zhìnéng
人工智能
assistant
zhùshǒu
助手
Xiaowei (AI assistant name)
Xiǎowēi
小微
。

Tencent Begins Rolling Out AI Agent Xiaowei to WeChat Users