One of the major financial backers of Donald Trump's campaign, billionaire investor Peter Thiel, has made a substantial investment in Bulgaria's EnduroSat. Thiel's Founders Fund has invested 43 million euros in the company, according to Dobroslav Dimitrov, one of EnduroSat's early supporters.

Dimitrov shared the news on social media, saying: "Now I'm a partner with Elon Musk's partner! Joking aside, Peter Thiel's Founders Fund invested 43 million euros in EnduroSat, placing our company in the same league as SpaceX, Palantir Technologies, Anduril Industries, and Varda Space Industries – all supported by Founders Fund."

Peter Thiel, a renowned technology investor and billionaire, is also recognized for his connection to the U.S. defense sector, where one of his companies helped track down Osama bin Laden nearly 15 years ago. He is known as a major donor to Trump's presidential campaign and is often considered one of its key influencers.

EnduroSat itself was founded by Raycho Raychev and has quickly grown to become a significant player in the satellite industry. The company, based in Sofia, has managed to raise enough funds to start production and now ranks among the top ten global companies that have sent components into orbit. It also collaborates with Elon Musk's SpaceX, with Musk himself being an investor in the same fund that now backs EnduroSat.

The recent funding will be used to expand production of advanced satellite systems and establish a new manufacturing facility, according to a company statement. The investment round also includes contributions from CEECAT Capital and Morphosis Capital, but the valuation of the startup remains undisclosed.

In the space industry, satellite manufacturers often face challenges due to reliance on specialized parts that are more expensive and take longer to produce than components used in consumer electronics. To overcome this, EnduroSat combines mass-produced core components sourced from the consumer electronics market with its own systems development.

Delyan Asparuhov, president of Varda and partner at Founders Fund, noted that as the number of satellites needed by various players continues to rise dramatically, there is an urgent need to rethink the traditional manufacturing processes for these devices. EnduroSat, he said, has taken a major step forward by shifting from the typical aerospace supply chains to those used in consumer electronics and the automotive industry, revolutionizing how satellites are built.