Global Cooling Startup Stardust Raises $60 Million to Test Sun-Reflecting Technology
By Corbin Hiar and Karl Mathiesen | October 24, 2025
A bold step towards combating global warming through geoengineering has gained substantial financial backing. Stardust Solutions, an Israeli-U.S. startup developing technology to cool the Earth by spraying sun-reflecting particles into the stratosphere, announced on Friday that it has raised $60 million in its largest fundraising round to date. This round marks the most significant investment ever for a company focused on solar geoengineering.
Ambitious Plan to Reflect Sunlight
Stardust’s approach involves dispersing a novel type of particle designed to reflect some of the sun’s heat away from the planet, mimicking the temporary cooling effect seen after large volcanic eruptions. Unlike volcanic sulfur particles, Stardust’s powder claims to be inert, non-accumulative in biological systems, and harmless to the ozone layer or rain chemistry.
The startup plans to begin controlled outdoor experiments as early as April 2026. These tests will deploy the particles from a modified aircraft flying approximately 11 miles (18 kilometers) above sea level in the stratosphere. Uniquely, Stardust intends to “suck air from the stratosphere” for in situ testing, rather than dispersing particles broadly into the atmosphere initially.
Strong Backing from Investors
The $60 million haul was led by Lowercarbon Capital, a climate-focused investment firm co-founded by billionaire Chris Sacca, and the Italian industrial Agnelli family’s holding company Exor, which has stakes in Ferrari, Stellantis, and Juventus Football Club. Additional investors include firms from the U.S., United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as well as notable individuals like former Facebook executive Matt Cohler.
Founded just two years ago, Stardust has now raised a total of $75 million. The company is headquartered near Tel Aviv but operates out of Delaware in the United States and maintains independence from direct Israeli government affiliation.
Rising Interest Amid Climate Challenges
The large influx of venture capital funding reflects increasing investor enthusiasm for geoengineering solutions amid sluggish governmental actions to reduce fossil fuel dependence. As global temperatures continue to rise, causing extreme wildfires, droughts, and floods, some stakeholders view sun-reflecting technology as a necessary complement to mitigation and adaptation strategies.
CEO Yanai Yedvab, a former Israeli government nuclear physicist and co-founder alongside Amyad Spector, emphasized the importance of developing a “safe and responsible and controlled” method for sunlight reflection. He highlighted that the funding round was purpose-driven to advance Stardust’s technology to initial testing phases rather than to simply raise maximum capital.
Controversy and Caution
Despite the excitement, Stardust’s approach is not without critics. Some scientists and climate experts warn that solar geoengineering is a largely untested field fraught with risks, including potential disruption of weather patterns and geopolitical tensions over deployment control.
Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia Business School, noted skepticism about the venture capital model for a technology with complex global implications. He questioned whether a profitable commercial pathway is realistic or responsible for such geoengineering efforts, arguing that government-led research might be more appropriate.
Next Steps
Stardust is actively working to secure patents and publish academic papers to validate its integrated solar geoengineering system. The company aims to pursue government contracts to deploy and monitor the particles on a larger scale should initial experiments prove successful.
With its upcoming stratospheric tests scheduled for 2026, Stardust is poised to be a pioneer in commercial geoengineering research. How the technology develops and is regulated in the years ahead will be closely watched by policymakers, scientists, and the global community as the urgency of climate change intensifies.
Filed Under: Climate Change, Science, Israel
Reporting from Washington and London by Corbin Hiar and Karl Mathiesen
