Ursa Major
Ursa Major makes rocket propulsion systems and hypersonic technologies for aerospace and defense applications. The company has raised $450M and employs 484 people.
The growth story
Ursa Major grew from 167 to 484 employees between 2021 and 2026, raising $450M along the way, most recently a Series E in November 2025.
About
Ursa Major develops rocket engines, solid rocket motors, and hypersonic systems using additive manufacturing and modular designs. Its products are used in space-based defense, satellite propulsion, and extended-range missile applications, primarily serving U.S. military and aerospace customers.
The company has scaled to nearly 500 employees since its 2015 founding, supported by $450M in venture funding. Its Series E round in late 2025 suggests continued investor confidence in its defense-focused propulsion technologies.
Founders and leadership
Engineering is the largest function with 115 employees, reflecting the company's technical focus on propulsion systems. Leadership appears lean given the company's size, with no notable executive departures in the analyzed data.
The Ursa Major org chart
Christopher Spagnoletti (Chief Executive Officer) leads 60 mapped leaders with 8 direct reports. Click +N to expand a team; names link to the person’s public profile.
Departments, and which ones grew
Headcount by function: Engineering 169 (+18% YoY), Operations 68 (+24% YoY), Business Development 58 (-2% YoY), Information Technology 27 (+42% YoY), Quality Assurance 20 (+100% YoY), Program and Project Management 16 (+45% YoY).
Talent flow
Ursa Major draws heavily from aerospace leaders, with 18% of analyzed hires coming from SpaceX and 15% from Blue Origin. Its workforce is educated primarily at Colorado State University and University of Colorado Boulder, likely due to proximity to its Berthoud headquarters.
Most common previous employers of Ursa Major staff: SpaceX (18), Blue Origin (15), Woodward (15), Northrop Grumman (10), Sierra Space (10), Sierra Nevada (10). Former Ursa Major employees most often moved to Blue Origin (12), Relativity Space (12), Impulse Space (7), SpaceX (7), Vast (6), ispace-U.S. (4).
Alumni worth knowing
The Ursa Major mafia
Ursa Major alumni have founded 8 companies, including Sierra Space and Morpheus Space, continuing the aerospace focus. Sierra Space, founded by one alumnus, has grown to over 1,300 employees.
8Daniel Jablonsky, was Chairman and CEO until 2026Rebecca Lasica, was VP Sales & Business Development until 2023Kevin Lausten, was Chief Revenue Officer until 2023Luke Malcolm, was Design and Manufacturing Engineering Intern until 2023Ryan Marcinik, was Private Investor until 2022Marina Bloomer, was VP, Program Management until 2022
David Gregory, was Chief Technical Officer until 2019
Justin Liguori, was Principal Materials and Manufacturing Engineer until 2026Hiring now
Web traffic
Traffic mix: 30% direct, 54% search, 4% social, 0% paid.
What this company is made of
Most common skills at Ursa Major: Microsoft Office (161), Microsoft Excel (148), Leadership (136), SOLIDWORKS (125), MATLAB (123), Project Management (117), Engineering (102), Communication (87).
Where the team actually sits
Ursa Major people are concentrated in Colorado, United States (142), Denver Metropolitan Area (23), United States (18), Greater Fort Collins Area (7).
Search footprint
Ursa Major attracts about 8,501 organic search visits a month, traffic worth roughly $3K a month if bought through ads. It gained 69 ranking keywords and lost 51 in the last period.
What employees say
- Compensation
- 3.70 / 5
- Career opportunities
- 3.80 / 5
- Senior management
- 3.50 / 5
- Work-life balance
- 3.70 / 5
Frequently asked
Ursa Major has 484 employees as of September 2026.
Ursa Major has raised $450M in total, most recently a Series E round in November 2025.
Christopher Spagnoletti (Chief Executive Officer) sits at the top of Ursa Major's reporting structure, with 8 direct reports.
The most common previous employers of current Ursa Major staff are SpaceX (18 people), Blue Origin (15 people), Woodward (15 people).
Former Ursa Major employees most often move to Blue Origin (12), Relativity Space (12), Impulse Space (7).
At least 8 companies have a founder who previously worked at Ursa Major, including Sierra Space, Magnasoft, Morpheus Space.
Ursa Major attracts about 8,501 organic search visits a month, worth roughly $3K a month in equivalent ad spend.
The most common skills among Ursa Major staff are Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Leadership, SOLIDWORKS, MATLAB.
Ursa Major staff are concentrated in Colorado, United States (142), Denver Metropolitan Area (23), United States (18).
Ursa Major has about 169 people in Engineering, up 18% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Ursa Major has about 68 people in Operations, up 24% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Computed from 235 current and 213 former Ursa Major profiles, as of September 2026. Source: Crustdata.
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