July 8 (Reuters) - Rocket maker Blue Origin is raising $10 billion at a pre-money valuation of $130 billion, the New York Times DealBook reported on Wednesday, marking the first effort by Jeff Bezos' company to secure outside funding.
The potential fundraising comes as investor appetite for space companies has surged following SpaceX's initial public offering last month, which reignited interest in the sector and lifted expectations for valuations of privately held aerospace firms.
Coatue Management,
a big asset manager, is expected to lead the round with a $4 billion commitment, the report said, adding that Bezos is set to contribute an additional $2 billion.
Blue Origin did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
SpaceX debuted at a valuation of about $1.75 trillion after it raised about $86 billion in what became the largest IPO globally, following several rounds of fundraising to enable Elon Musk's AI and space ambitions.
Blue Origin, founded by Bezos in September 2000, was established about 18 months before Musk founded SpaceX in 2002. It has largely been funded by the Amazon founder.
The company has won multibillion-dollar contracts from NASA and the U.S. Space Force, including work on the Artemis lunar program and national security launch missions, although it still trails SpaceX in launch cadence and revenue by a large margin.
Unlike SpaceX, whose Starlink satellite internet business has become a major revenue driver, Blue Origin's business remains centered on launch services, rocket engines and government space programs.
However, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, similar in size to SpaceX's Starship, exploded during a ground test in May. The company expects to restart launches this year.
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
