SAN FRANCISCO – Plasmos, the Los Angeles-based startup developing rocket engines, is pivoting to turn out to be a man-made intelligence-driven enterprise capital firm.
Plasmos officially modified its business model in late May after struggling to draw investors and strategic partners due partly to the background of Plasmos CEO Ali Baghchehsara. Born in Iran, Baghchehsara moved to Germany as an adolescent to earn a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. There, he worked for the German Aerospace Center DLR and Airbus, before moving to america in 2021 to pursue his dream of developing hybrid electric-chemical rocket engine.
While Plasmos could address the business challenges startups commonly face, the political challenges seemed insurmountable, Baghchehsara said.
“I saw where Plasmos will end,” Baghchehsara told “If we’re successful, I’ll must take care of the U.S. government. And if I sell to the U.S. government it might turn out to be inconceivable for me to go to my family in Iran. I had to decide on a path: company success or family.”
AI for VC
Plasmos has raised about $275,000 in money and $275,000 in in-kind contributions including 3D printing services. With remaining funds, Baghchehsara is establishing PlasmOS, an AI-driven enterprise capital firm.
Unlike enterprise capital partners who base investment decisions on their knowledge, experience or instinct, PlasmOS will use AI to pick promising startups.
“We are going to use data to make almost instantaneous decisions, a fast yes or no on funding,” Baghchehsara said.
Ambitious Plan
As an area startup, Plasmos was developing a Space Truck, powered by the corporate’s dual-mode propulsion system. The Space Truck was designed to move payloads in Earth orbit and to support in-space manufacturing, last-mile delivery, point-to-point transportation, on-orbit servicing and energetic debris removal.