Hungary’s 4iG Makes Historic $100M Investment in U.S. Space Firm Axiom: ‘Giant Leap’ for Bilateral Ties

A Hungarian technology firm is making what its chairman called a “giant leap” for bilateral cooperation after committing $100 million to a leading U.S. commercial space company, marking the first time a Hungarian enterprise has taken an ownership stake in a major American space player.

Budapest-based 4iG announced Friday that its space and defense subsidiary had signed a definitive agreement to become an anchor investor in Houston-based Axiom Space, committing $30 million by the end of 2025 and an additional $70 million by March 31, 2026.

The two-step investment, disclosed in a capital-market filing, represents a historic milestone in U.S.–Hungarian space cooperation and positions Hungary inside the rapidly expanding commercial space ecosystem, including low Earth orbit infrastructure, microgravity research, and space-based data services.

“This collaboration is of historic significance for the Hungarian space industry, as it marks the first time a Hungarian company participates as an owner of a U.S. space player,” said Gellért Jászai, chairman of 4iG, adding that Axiom is developing “revolutionary technological solutions that are fundamentally transforming the commercial space sector and setting the direction for developments in the coming decades.”

Jászai said the investment reflects Hungary’s growing role in the global space economy and underscores the strengthening ties between Budapest and Washington.

Under the agreement, 4iG Space and Defence Technologies will gain long-term access to space-based data processing, orbital communications, and industrial research programs conducted in microgravity environments — a core pillar of the company’s strategy to become a leading international player in space and defense technologies.

In a separate statement posted on social media, Jászai described the deal as the culmination of a deliberate push to deepen U.S. ties over the past year, calling the Axiom investment “a new chapter” for Hungarian-American cooperation and “a giant leap for 4iG.”

For Axiom Space, the investment brings in a European industrial partner as the company accelerates development of Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station designed to eventually succeed the International Space Station.

“We’re excited to welcome 4iG Space and Defence as an investor in Axiom Space at such a pivotal moment for commercial space,” said Kam Ghaffarian, executive chairman of Axiom Space. He said the partnership aligns with Axiom’s vision for global space infrastructure and will strengthen innovation in microgravity research, data processing, and space commercialization.

Axiom Space already plays a central role in Hungary’s space ambitions. The company is responsible for flying Hungary’s second astronaut, Tibor Kapu, as part of the HUNOR — Hungarian to Orbit — program, marking a milestone in the country’s human spaceflight history.

The agreement also builds on earlier cooperation between the two firms, including joint work on orbital data center technologies and low Earth orbit services — areas increasingly viewed as critical to the next phase of the commercial space economy.

The investment follows renewed optimism in Budapest about the trajectory of U.S.–Hungarian relations under President Donald Trump. In a December 2024 exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar said Hungary expected a “new era” of economic and strategic cooperation with Washington after years of strained ties under the Biden administration.

Magyar underscored Hungary’s reliance on trade, openness to investment, and ambition to serve as a bridge between East and West — themes now reflected in 4iG’s expansion into the U.S. space sector.

With the first tranche set to close by the end of 2025, both companies have framed the deal as a long-term strategic alignment rather than a one-off financial transaction — signaling Hungary’s arrival as a serious player in the commercial space race and sharpening the technological partnership between Budapest and Washington.