Exclusive: Space entrepreneur Max Polyakov acquires South Africa's Dragonfly satellite maker

FILE PHOTO: A satellite produced by South African company Dragonfly Aerospace is seen in an undated illustration. MaxPolyakov.space/Handout via REUTERS

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Max Polyakov, an ultra-wealthy entrepreneur with ambitions of building a space transportation empire, has acquired South African satellite maker Dragonfly Aerospace, he told Reuters.

The deal gives Polyakov an anchorpoint in the booming but fiercely competitive market for small-satellite technology, and a potential revenue source for rocket maker Firefly Aerospace, which is majority-owned by Polyakov's Noosphere Ventures investment fund.