Nikon Announces Investment in U.S.-based Vast, Inc.
Supporting Advancement of Commercial Space Station Business
March 6, 2026
TOKYO - Nikon Corporation (Nikon) today announced that it has made an investment in Vast Inc. (Vast), based in Long Beach, California, United States (CEO: Max Haot), through the NFocus Fund.
Vast is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and operation of commercial space stations utilizing a vertically integrated manufacturing approach. This innovative company aims to provide the next-generation commercial space station to succeed the International Space Station (ISS), which is scheduled for retirement in 2030.
Nikon has long contributed to space exploration and the advancement of space science, with its cameras and lenses used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) since the Apollo mission more than 50 years ago. Nikon cameras and NIKKOR lenses have also been utilized aboard the International Space Station for decades, supporting essential scientific research and in 2024, it was announced that Nikon entered into a Space Act agreement with NASA in which the Nikon Z 9 will be used by the crew for the upcoming Artemis III mission.
In addition to these tremendous contributions to space science through the Imaging Business, Nikon's Advanced Manufacturing Business is actively developing applications for space-related parts created with its cutting-edge, large format high productivity metal 3D printers, such as rocket component production. In recognition of Nikon's highly developed capabilities, Nikon additive manufacturing (AM) technology was selected for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Space Strategy Fund program. Nikon's role in this program is to establish metal 3D printing technologies that combine both laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) methods for production of high-precision rocket components to support the global space industry. In recent months, Nikon (through its subsidiary, Nikon SLM Solutions) has also entered into a strategic partnership with ArianeGroup to advance ultra-large-scale AM for space applications and announced a memorandum of understanding with Rocket Lab to reserve multiple units of Nikon's upcoming ultra-large format metal AM platforms.
Through this foundational investment in Vast, Nikon will further enhance its AM technologies and contribute to the continued advancement of the space industry. Hamid Zarringhalam, Director, President and CEO of Nikon Ventures Corporation and Nikon Advanced Manufacturing Inc. said, “Like Nikon, Vast is a technology-driven company, and we definitely see commonalities in our vision as well as exciting synergistic opportunities.” Zarringhalam further commented that, “Nikon is tremendously proud of our half-century of contributions to space science and exploration, and through this investment in Vast, as well as other programs across our Nikon imaging and AM businesses, we look forward to enabling transformative capabilities in space.”
Vast CEO Max Haot added, “Nikon's legacy in precision imaging, advanced manufacturing, and space science is unmatched, and their long-term commitment to enabling breakthrough capabilities strongly resonates with our mission. We're excited to work with Nikon to unlock the next era of commercial space that advances exploration and technological breakthroughs that benefit the world.”
Overview of Vast
| Company name | Vast, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Long Beach, California, U.S.A |
| Representative | Max Haot (CEO) |
| Business | Design, development, manufacturing, and operation of commercial space stations |
- *NFocus Fund: A private equity investment fund jointly established by Nikon and Geodesic Capital (California, USA).
https://www.nikon.com/company/news/2024/0827_01.html
About Vast
Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure continuous human presence in space, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo's 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world's first commercial space station when it launches in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030.
The information is current as of the date of publication. It is subject to change without notice.