Blue Origin's bold vision seems like something from a science fiction movie. The company envisions a time when millions of people will live and work in space for the benefit of Earth.
Amazon (AMZN -2.58%) founder Jeff Bezos is behind the company's ambitious vision. He founded Blue Origin in 2000. It's one of Bezos' many investments.
The company is a long way from achieving its vision. Its current focus is on aerospace manufacturing and providing space services. It also has a space tourism business.
The sky is the limit for Blue Origin. That has many investors eagerly anticipating its initial public offering (IPO). Here's a guide to everything you need to know about how to invest in Blue Origin ahead of its eventual IPO.
Is it publicly traded?
Is Blue Origin publicly traded?
Blue Origin is a privately held company. It doesn't trade publicly on major stock exchanges like the NYSE or Nasdaq.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is a leading investor in Blue Origin. He has reportedly invested more than $5.5 billion of his own money into the company.
Will it IPO?
When will Blue Origin IPO?
As of early 2025, Blue Origin didn't have an IPO on the calendar. The company also had yet to announce plans to go public. Bezos currently prefers to keep his space company private.
IPO
How to invest
How to invest in Blue Origin Stock
Blue Origin is a private company controlled by Bezos. Since it's not publicly traded, you can't buy shares in a regular brokerage account as you can with other stocks.
However, accredited investors (i.e., high-net-worth individuals or those with high incomes) can sometimes buy pre-IPO shares of companies like Blue Origin on secondary platforms like Equity Bee or Forge Global. Accredited investors who really want to own shares ahead of its IPO should check out those platforms to see if they have shares available.
Meanwhile, unaccredited investors will have to wait for Blue Origin to go public before they can buy shares of the space technology company. In the meantime, those interested in space stocks can consider investing in a Blue Origin alternative. Here are three top options in the space sector that interested investors can buy right now:
Boeing
Boeing (BA 0.78%) is a leading aerospace company. It develops and builds airplanes, defense products, and space systems. The company's defense, space, and security business unit develops and produces commercial and government satellites and human spaceflight programs. The company has an illustrious history as part of various space programs, including Apollo and the space shuttle program. Boeing is working with NASA on the Space Launch System Rocket that will eventually carry people to Mars.
L3Harris Technologies
L3Harris Technologies (LHX -0.8%) is an aerospace and defense company providing solutions in the space, air, land, sea, and cyber sectors. The company enhanced its space technology segment in 2023 by closing its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, a leader in propulsion systems. Aerojet Rocketdyne has a long history of innovation in the space exploration sector, adding to L3Harris Technologies' expertise in the industry.
Virgin Galactic Holdings
Virgin Galactic Holdings (SPCE -1.17%) is an aerospace and space travel company. As with Blue Origin, its founder is a well-known entrepreneurial billionaire (Richard Branson). The company pioneered human spaceflight for individuals, making it a direct competitor to Blue Origin. Virgin Galactic plans to launch a new Delta Class SpaceShips for commercial space tourism by 2026.
People who want to buy one of these Blue Origin alternatives can purchase shares in any brokerage account. Here's a step-by-step guide to investing in these space stocks.
- Open your brokerage app: Log into your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
Investors would follow a similar process to buy an IPO stock like Blue Origin when it goes public. Once shares become available, select Blue Origin's chosen stock ticker to buy shares through your brokerage account.
Profitability
Is Blue Origin profitable?
Privately held companies like Blue Origin don't need to disclose their financial data publicly. As a result, there isn't currently much publicly available information on Blue Origin's revenue or profitability.
It likely isn't profitable yet. Founder Jeff Bezos said in late 2024 that his space company “is not a very good business yet.” The company took a notable step to improve as a business in early 2025 by launching a sizeable layoff.
Although Blue Origin isn't making money yet, Bezos sees a bright future. “I think it’s going to be the best business that I’ve ever been involved in, but it’s going to take a while,” he said in 2024. That immense promise is what has investors so excited by its potential IPO.
Should I invest?
Should I invest in Blue Origin?
Blue Origin is still a private company, so only accredited investors can buy shares right now. That leaves unaccredited investors with lots of time to do their research on the company before it completes its IPO and they can buy shares. This process might increase your conviction that shares can skyrocket in the future. However, your research might uncover some things that turn you off from buying the stock.
Here are some reasons you might want to become a Blue Origin investor:
- You believe that space is the next investing frontier.
- You think Blue Origin's stock will skyrocket after it completes its IPO.
- You prefer to invest in founder-led companies.
- You want to invest in a company founded and backed by Bezos.
- You think Blue Origin can grow its revenue rapidly in the future as it capitalizes on space tourism.
- You believe the company will eventually succeed in achieving Bezos' bold vision.
On the other hand, here are some reasons you might opt against investing in the space technology company:
- You're not a fan of Bezos and don't want to invest in a company with his backing.
- You'd rather wait to invest in the Elon Musk-backed SpaceX if and when it goes public.
- You're not sure Blue Origin can grow shareholder value over the long term.
- You don't think space tourism will be a sustainable business for Blue Origin.
ETF options
ETFs with exposure to Blue Origin
Blue Origin isn't a publicly traded company, so investors can't gain passive exposure to its stock by investing in an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)
However, those interested in investing in the space industry can consider an ETF focused on the sector. Here are three space-focused ETFs:
- ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX -1.78%): The actively managed fund (by the well-known Cathie Wood) focuses on companies engaged in space exploration and innovation. It aims to have between 35 and 55 holdings. Among the fund's holdings was Bezos' Amazon at 4.2% of its assets in early 2025. It has an ETF expense ratio of 0.75%.
- Procure Space ETF (UFO -0.57%): This ETF owns shares of companies involved in space-related industries. It had 35 holdings in early 2025. This ETF also had a 0.75% expense ratio.
- SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF (ROKT -0.91%): The fund focuses on companies that make products or provide space travel and exploration services. It held 32 stocks in early 2025, including Boeing (4%) and L3Harris Technologies (4%) in the top ten. The ETF had a lower gross expense ratio of 0.45%.
Related investing topics
The bottom line on Blue Origin
Blue Origin has a bold vision of helping to support millions of people living and working in space to benefit the planet. The company is working toward achieving that mission by building a space services and tourism company that's becoming a major revenue generator. Its profits could skyrocket as it continues to press forward, making it an interesting potential IPO to watch.
FAQ
Investing in Blue Origin FAQ
Does Jeff Bezos own Blue Origin?
Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000. He has reportedly invested billions of dollars into the company and owns a significant percentage of its shares.
Can you buy shares of Blue Origin?
Blue Origin is a privately held company, so investors can't buy shares from a stock exchange through their brokerage account.
However, some secondary marketplaces like EquityBee and Forge Global enable accredited investors (i.e., those with a high net worth or income) to buy shares of pre-IPO companies like Blue Origin.
Is Blue Origin privately owned?
Blue Origin is a privately owned company, founded by Amazon creator Jeff Bezos. He holds most of the space technology company's shares.
