Failed 2021
Loon (Alphabet)
Internet-beaming stratospheric balloons are technically impressive but economically uncompetitive vs. Starlink.
Founded → Closed
2011 → 2021
Funding Raised
$X00M+
Industry
Telecom/Moonshot
Country
USA
IdeaProof AI Failure Score
52/100
Market Fit Risk
50
Burn Rate Risk
65
Founder Risk
10
Full Analysis
Loon was an Alphabet moonshot to provide internet via high-altitude balloons. While technically successful, the unit economics never worked. SpaceX's Starlink proved to be a more scalable solution. Alphabet shut down Loon in 2021.
Could This Failure Have Been Prevented?
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