Few people anticipated that Baiju Bhatt would be orbiting satellites as his next endeavor after leaving Robinhood. However, he is now trying to capture sunlight directly from space with the same audacity that revolutionized retail investing. The goal of his new business, Aetherflux, is to use carefully calibrated lasers to beam solar energy down to Earth. It’s a bold, futuristic, yet remarkably relevant project.
In a poetic reference to his goal of commercializing space energy, Bhatt refers to his vision as “capitalism beyond gravity.” The goal is to light up the planet more intelligently, not to abandon it. He frequently attributes his interest in space technology to his father, a scientist with NASA. In an interview, he said, “I’ve always wanted to bring entrepreneurial discipline to the cosmos,” in a tone that was equal parts inspired and analytical.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Baiju Bhatt |
| Known For | Co-founder of Robinhood Markets Inc., Founder of Aetherflux |
| Birth Year | 1984 |
| Net Worth (2025) | $1.7 billion (Forbes estimate) |
| Education | Stanford University – Degrees in Physics and Mathematics |
| Family Background | Son of a NASA scientist at Langley Air Force Base |
| Company | Aetherflux (Founded in 2024, California) |
| Mission | To build solar farms in space and beam power to Earth via lasers |
| First Satellite Launch Goal | 2026, in partnership with SpaceX and Apex Space |
| Reference Source | Bloomberg – Baiju Bhatt’s Aetherflux Project |
The idea itself is not brand-new. For more than 50 years, scientists have been debating space-based solar energy. However, Bhatt’s timing and strategy differ significantly. He hopes to use Aetherflux to launch thousands of low-cost, small satellites in closer orbit around the planet. Equipped with solar panels and batteries, each unit will continuously gather energy and use high-intensity infrared lasers to beam it to specific ground receivers.
Because it avoids the high cost and complexity of the outdated “mega-satellite” models that were previously suggested by governments and defense organizations, this modular design is especially novel. “It’s not your grandpa’s space solar project,” as Bhatt frequently observes.
Funding shows a great deal of confidence. Bhatt personally contributed an additional $10 million to Aetherflux’s recent $50 million Series A, which was led by Sequoia Capital. In 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to launch their first demonstration satellite, which is currently in production. It is intended to conduct a critical proof of concept that has the potential to revolutionize energy logistics by testing the transmission of laser-generated solar power to a military ground station.
As a businessman pursuing the same sunlight that sustains all life on Earth, Bhatt’s fascination with solar transmission seems strangely poetic. However, he has very practical motivations. He says that inefficiency, weather, and timing cause us to lose half of our sunlight. “The sun never sets in orbit.” Scientists from Europe to Japan have been fascinated by this concept, but Bhatt’s implementation feels very Silicon Valley—lean, data-driven, and extremely scalable.
However, the task is still very difficult. According to NASA, the cost of space-based solar energy could be 12–80 times higher than that of terrestrial systems. Critics raise concerns about the astronomical and ecological ramifications in addition to the economic ones. Complicated environmental and regulatory issues are brought up by thousands of satellites emitting infrared radiation. Light interference could “seriously compromise deep-space observations,” according to astronomers like Anthony Tyson of the Rubin Observatory.
However, Bhatt is unfazed. He maintains that the laser beams used in Aetherflux’s technology are designed to be incredibly precise and neither illuminate nor scatter. He said to Freethink, “We’re not lighting up the sky.” “We’re using surgical accuracy to target pinpoint receivers.” Some of the most controversial objections might be disproved if that assertion turns out to be accurate.
It’s interesting to note that military organizations might have been Aetherflux’s first clients rather than civilian utilities. Because it sees orbital solar as a strategic energy source, the U.S. Department of Defense has covertly funded a portion of the project. It is “a tactical advantage disguised as an environmental breakthrough,” according to Bhatt. His reasoning is simple: without relying on susceptible supply lines, space-based power could power operations in hostile or remote locations.
“Space solar power can protect lives, strengthen logistics, and reduce battlefield fuel risk,” Bhatt wrote in one of his X posts. He describes a future in which energy flows freely—through clouds, through crises, even through night—using language that is both realistic and aspirational.
Bhatt envisions worldwide utility applications in addition to defense. According to Andrew Yarmola, head of engineering at Aetherflux, “imagine beaming energy to disaster zones after hurricanes.” “There is no grid. Not a single truck. Only light. The company intends to create portable receivers that can power hospitals or small towns. These receivers will be around thirty feet wide. There could be a huge effect on areas with erratic grids.
The larger picture is just as convincing. Similar objectives are already being pursued by space agencies in Asia and Europe. The viability of space-to-Earth energy transfer was demonstrated by Caltech’s MAPLE mission in 2023 and Japan’s JAXA, which successfully transmitted wireless solar power in 2015. China’s ambitious project, dubbed “the Manhattan Project of clean energy” by NASA’s David Steitz, intends to launch a kilometer-wide solar station by 2030.
Bhatt’s work gives what has historically been a government-dominated frontier the agility of Silicon Valley. His strategy is in line with a new wave of tech entrepreneurs, such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, who see space as a useful platform for advancement rather than an abstract concept. However, Bhatt’s mission, which is driven by energy, feels especially grounded. Bhatt concentrates on sustainability and sovereignty, whereas Musk concentrates on transportation and artificial intelligence. After all, the person who controls sunlight may eventually control stability itself.
However, his personality is still very subtle. He is described by those who know him as analytical but subtly captivating, someone who takes in information before giving instructions. He bargains like an investor and talks like a physicist. Although Bhatt’s tone conveys a more upbeat idealism, that combination has led to comparisons to individuals such as Peter Thiel.
He frequently uses incredibly human language when discussing Aetherflux’s mission at conferences. He once remarked, “Space isn’t the issue here.” It has to do with trust. Regardless of what is going on beneath the clouds, people should have faith that energy will always exist. In a time of uncertain climate and unstable power systems, this sentiment is especially poignant.
If Aetherflux is successful, Bhatt may usher in a completely new era of energy, one in which data centers, homes, and hospitals are all powered by sunlight that is transmitted across the sky. Even if it doesn’t work, it will have advanced the discussion and demonstrated that creativity frequently starts with seemingly insurmountable ideas.
In any case, Bhatt’s transition from stock trading to space farming is an intriguing development. It encapsulates the spirit of technology today, which is bold, unorthodox, and intensely future-oriented. His experience is representative of a larger movement where money meets the cosmos and energy is transformed from a resource to a promise of advancement.
One Aetherflux engineer stated, “We’re not chasing the sun.” We are catching it. And if Bhatt has his way, a fleet of satellites may soon do just that—converting ambition into light itself and sunlight into laser streams—somewhere above us.