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Outer Spaces, a startup developing outdoor furnishings embedded with solar and batteries, launched with $8 million in pre-seed funding, CEO Jiake Liu tells Axios Pro exclusively.

Why it matters: As the costs of solar panels and batteries drop, the tech is being designed into new products for home owners.  

Zoom in: Upfront Ventures led the round, joined by Unlock Venture Partners, Mucker Capital, and Genius Ventures. 

Outer Spaces emerged from sister company Outer, a backyard furnishings brand from the same co-founders, which has generated hundreds of millions in sales from its products. 

Outer Spaces' co-founder and chief design officer is Terry Lin.

How it works: The company's products are prefabricated, and the equivalent of "a huge Lego kit," taking two people about five hours on average to build, says Liu.

Its solar and battery products can also be connected to a home and used as backup storage and power.

Outer Spaces' first product, called the OS1, can be configured in a few ways including an outdoor sauna, a gym and an office, and it has batteries and solar panels built into it. 

The batteries are embedded in the flooring, and the solar panels are installed into the roofing space. 

What they're saying: The secret to any home renovation is that labor costs are usually more than half of the entire project cost, says Liu. The homeowner is paying one-time labor costs that are not building equity. 

This "is a huge problem that's stopping more people from adopting solar and energy," says Liu. 

The big picture: Rooftop solar panel systems are seeing slowing growth in the U.S. due to removed federal support. 

Solar soft-costs — like sales, installation labor, permitting and financing — remain high. 

Residential solar customer acquisition costs are expected to jump by 40% in 2026 partly due to the lost tax credits.

At the same time, states are passing laws to enable companies to sell "plug-and-play" or "balcony solar," which are solar units that can bought, installed and used without a lengthy utility permitting process. 

What's next: Outer Spaces plans to start shipping its first products in the summer of 2027.

Down the road, the startup has ambitions to develop a virtual power plant with connected solar and battery customers.

Exclusive: Outer Spaces launches with $8M for backyard solar and batteries

The company's prefabricated products take two people about five hours on average to build.

Open-air gym pavilion with a dark metal frame and glass walls beside a pool. Inside, weights, a bench, and a barbell rack are visible; trees and distant hills glow in warm evening light.

Backyard architecture and furnishings. Photo: Courtesy of Outer Spaces

Outer Spaces, a startup developing outdoor furnishings embedded with solar and batteries, launched with $8 million in pre-seed funding, CEO Jiake Liu tells Axios Pro exclusively.Why it matters: As the costs of solar panels and batteries drop, the tech is being designed into new products for home owners.

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Exclusive: Outer Spaces launches with $8M for backyard solar and batteries

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