WOVEN BY TOYOTA FURTHER INVESTS ABOUT USD 44 MILLION IN THE JAPANESE ROCKET STARTUP INTERSTELLAR TECHNOLOGIES.

This deal is all about tying up with Woven by Toyota, which is Toyota's research arm, in investing about 7 billion yen (approximately 44 million US dollars) in a Japanese rocket-startup, Interstellar Technologies (IST). The investment in IST would be focused on changing the way rockets are made from know-how and manufacturing capabilities inherited from Toyota that speed up production, making it cheaper and more efficient.  

Woven by Toyota would be on the board of directors of IST as part of the agreement and assist in improvement initiatives that would include but not be limited to supply chains and corporate governance in the company. Expect it to help IST continue in developing and aligning an image for a vision of Japan as a major player in outer space. By the early 2030s, IST plans to have about 30 rocket launches every year, including its next big project called "Zero," an orbital launcher.  

Speaking at the CES 2025 trade show in Las Vegas, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda referred to the company's greater vision for mobility beyond Earth. "The future of mobility has to move beyond just Earth or just one car company."  

Toyota has always had a space itch. The company currently collaborates with the Japanese space agency in the development of a lunar rover through NASA's Artemis program to enable astronauts to explore the lunar surface.  

Interstellar Technologies is based in Hokkaido and became Japan's first private company to launch a rocket into space in 2019. Now, thanks to Toyota, the startup can finally take a shot at shooting Japan as a base for space adventures.

It is actually about transcending rockets to reach into boundaries and possibilities as well as proving that there is no longer a limit to the sky for Toyota's innovation. Exciting advancement, indeed, for both companies and the burgeoning private space sector in Japan.