Japanese Lunar Startup ispace Expands to KSA With New Subsidiary

ispace, a Japan-based space company specialising in lunar exploration, transportation and surface operations, has begun the process of establishing a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia after receiving an Investment Registration Certificate from the Ministry of Investment. Commercial registration is currently underway with the Ministry of Commerce. The announcement was made in Riyadh and marks ispace’s fourth global entity after operations in Tokyo, Luxembourg and Denver, with the Saudi entity’s name yet to be confirmed.

The company said the planned Saudi unit will focus on working with commercial, institutional and government partners, with activities centred on lunar surface exploration technologies, mission operations and in-situ resource utilisation. Technical support will be provided by ispace’s European team in Luxembourg. The move builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in 2025 with King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, alongside a further memorandum concluded in January 2026 with a Saudi science and technology organisation.

ispace said the expansion aligns with broader developments in the Kingdom’s space sector, including initiatives led by the Public Investment Fund’s NEO Space Group and programmes overseen by the Saudi Space Agency. The company framed the Saudi presence as a platform for accelerating joint research, technology development and operational collaboration in lunar exploration.

The announcement was made during the Saudi–Japan Ministerial Investment Forum held in Riyadh.