Emerging KC space tech startup relocating to Colorado to build autonomous factory
August 12, 2025 | Tommy Felts
A space tech startup that shot into orbit from its West Bottoms headquarters in Kansas City has announced plans to build its first smart factory in Colorado — relocating operations to Broomfield to join the Centennial State’s “robust aerospace and defense ecosystem.”
“Colorado is home to some of the best aerospace, defense, and manufacturing talent in the country,” Raven Space Systems said in a LinkedIn post announcing the relocation and hiring efforts. “As we scale our production of high-performance composite parts with our MAD 3D printing technology, proximity to industry partners and top-tier talent is critical.”
The company is developing 3D printed hypersonic flight testbed vehicles for the defense and space industries to accelerate the development of hypersonic materials and technologies.
Raven expects to create up to 392 net new jobs at the Colorado site, at an average annual wage of $130,867, according to a press release from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to $5,852,666 in a performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit for the company over an eight-year period — contingent on Raven meeting net new job creation and salary requirements, the economic development agency said.
One of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2024, Raven announced a $1.8 million STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) Phase II contract — awarded by AFWERX, an innovation arm within the Air Force Research Laboratory — in November. It also logged a $2 million pre-seed round and landed a patent for its Microwave Assisted Deposition (MAD) 3D printing innovation.
Blake Herren, Raven Space Systems, speaks in January 2024 at UMKC during a founder panel conversation during Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2024 seminar and reception; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Co-founders Blake Herren and Ryan Cowdrey later were honored by Forbes 30 Under 30 in the 2025 Manufacturing and Industry category.
LaunchKC winners in November 2023: Steven Coen, SaRA Health; Jannae Gammage, Foresight; Neelima Parasker, Lotus TMS; Learie Hercules, Heft IQ; Holly Andra Small, Lotus TMS; Triumfia Houmbie Fulks and Sedric Hibler, CodeAlgo Academy; Ryan Cowdrey and Blake Herren, Raven Space Systems; photo by Mark McDonald, Downtown Council
Herren declined to further discuss the relocation and Raven’s plans for building the autonomous composite manufacturing facility in Broomfield, though he expressed gratitude for support shown to the startup during its time in Kansas City.
The startup was founded as Raven 3D Printing in 2020 after Herren and Cowdrey, an Overland Park native, met at the University of Oklahoma, each exploring the possibilities of 3D printing.
They relocated the company to Kansas City in 2021, eventually earning local funding through LaunchKC and Digital Sandbox KC.
“When we moved to KC, we had a very early-stage proof of concept 3D printing innovation,” Herren told Startland News previously. “We didn’t know what it was truly capable of. … While developing this revolutionary innovation, we discovered a growing need in the space industry.”
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Overland Park aviation software firm flies in $31M growth equity investment from Austin
Flight Schedule Pro — the maker of industry-leading cloud-based tech for flight schools, universities, and flying clubs — recently opened the hangar doors on $31 million in funding from an investor landing deals with fast-growing, bootstrapped software companies. Financial terms of the investment from Mainsail Partners, a growth equity firm that boasts offices in Austin…
Kansas legal tech startup’s exit unlocks opportunity to accelerate innovation, founder says
An Overland Park startup developing intuitive websites and marketing solutions for small law firms says its just-announced acquisition by a leading cloud-based legal operations platform is the verdict needed to push its services to mid-market clients and beyond. “Combining the best-in-class websites with practice management software unlocks a unique opportunity to deepen product integration and…
Real-world working: Relaunched initiative will put 500 paid teen interns into KC workplaces
A coalition of funders and employers are teaming up to provide 500 high school students across the Kansas City metro with paid summer professional experiences. “It’s really important that we come together as a community for these types of initiatives to make sure our young people are really connecting the dots and moving onto the…
SafetyCulture acquires safety app for decentralized frontline workers who often go it alone
A global workplace operations company with its U.S. headquarters in Kansas City on Tuesday announced the acquisition of SHEQSY, a cloud-based lone worker safety app — a move meant to address an underinvestment in frontline processes, enablement, and emerging technologies, said Luke Anear. “Frontline workers make up 80 percent of our global workforces,” said Anear,…