10 thriving space startups in India

India’s space technology sector experienced significant expansion, with over $205 million secured in funding through more than 30 deals from 2014 to July 2023. Let us take a look at the fast-growing space startups established in India.

Agnikul

Agnikul, established in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, and SR Chakravarthy, achieved a significant milestone by constructing its own launchpad and mission control centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The space tech startup has raised a total of $40 million across seven funding rounds, with its most recent round of $26.7 million in October 2023 backed by investors like Celesta Capital, and Rocketship. VC, and Mayfield India. Agnikul has attracted backing from prominent angel investors, including Sriram Krishnan from Andreessen Horowitz, Anand Mahindra, Nithin Kamath of Zerodha, and Naval Ravikant from AngelList.

Astrogate Labs

Headquartered in Bengaluru, Astrogate Labs, founded in 2017 by Aditya Kedlaya and Nitish Singh, is at the forefront of enabling high-speed communications for small satellites. The startup is dedicated to unveiling its groundbreaking space-to-ground laser communications link. After securing undisclosed funding from Speciale Invest in 2019 and $200K from 9Unicorns Accelerator Fund in 2020, Astrogate Labs aims to address the challenge of high-speed communication in space by establishing a comprehensive chain of optical communication systems.

Bellatrix Aerospace

Bellatrix Aerospace, a space tech startup established in 2015 by Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, has successfully raised a total of $11.1 million in funding across four rounds, with the latest round led by ANIC-ARISE in 2022. The company’s primary focus is on the development of advanced in-space propulsion systems and rocket propulsion technologies, dedicated to making space more accessible and affordable for various applications.

Blue Sky Analytics

Founded in 2018 by siblings Abhilasha Purwar and Kshitij Purwar, Blue Sky Analytics is a geospatial data intelligence company leveraging cloud and AI to build an API-based catalogue of environmental datasets. Utilizing proprietary AI and ML models, the startup provides data analytics for various environmental indicators, including greenhouse gas emissions, climate risks (floods, droughts, wildfires, and extreme heat), and environmental monitoring. Blue Sky Analytics’ use cases include monitoring and measuring climate risks, calculating climate VaR (value at risk), and stress testing for various warming scenarios.

Dhruva Space

Established in 2012 by Sanjay Nekkanti, Dhruva Space is a Hyderabad-based space tech startup specializing in providing integrated solutions for space-based applications by offering satellites, earth stations, and launching services as a comprehensive package. In 2021, Dhruva achieved a milestone by becoming the first Indian entity to receive an order for the design and development of space-qualified solar arrays from inception. The startup asserts itself as the sole private space technology company in India with capabilities in both satellite and launcher interfaces.

Digantara

Founded in 2018 by Anirudh Sharma, Rahul Rawat, and Tanveer Ahmed, the Bengaluru-based startup Digantara is focused on a sustainable space environment and working on developing a space debris detector. The startup aims to create an ecosystem for small satellites in India and has networked with local partners.

Digantara is creating a comprehensive infrastructure to address the challenges of space operations and effectively manage space traffic. Through its Space Mission Assurance Platform, the company aims to offer end-to-end solutions for ensuring the success and safety of space missions.

Kawa Space

Established in 2019 by Bala Menon and Kris Nair, Mumbai-based Kawa Space specializes in developing essential earth observation infrastructure. The startup has raised a total of $1.2 million in four rounds, with the latest round announced in April 2023 and led by the AWS Space Accelerator.

Pixxel

Established in 2019 by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, alumni of BITS Pilani, Bengaluru-based Pixxel is developing a constellation of high-resolution hyperspectral imaging satellites. The company aims to provide clients with AI-powered insights that facilitate real-time detection, resolution, and prediction of climate-related issues. Pixxel primarily operates in the hyperspectral imaging sphere, providing better analysis of the Earth’s surface and capturing high-resolution images for data analysis. The startup is looking to launch six commercial satellites, which will be the first set to sell data commercially.

Eon Space Labs

In 2022, Punit Badeka, Manoj Kumar Gaddam, and Sanjay Kumar established Eon Space Labs, specializing in the production of optical payloads designed for satellites, UAVs, and drones. Eon’s cutting-edge technology enables clients to capture high-resolution images while maintaining a smaller SWaP (size, weight, and power) factor. Its range of offerings includes the miniaturized optical imagery payload for CubeSats DEGA and another under-development prototype called Tuniga.

SatSure

Established in 2017 by Prateep Basu, Rashmit Singh Sukhmani, and Abhishek Raju, SatSure, a space tech startup headquartered in Bengaluru, leverages satellite data to provide ‘decision intelligence’ services to the BFSI, agriculture, and infrastructure sectors. The company aims to democratize space data accessibility for its users and provides a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that empowers financial institutions to extend on-demand credit facilities to farmers.