{"slug": "these-are-the-20-space-startups-whose-founders-met-pm-modi-at-yesterdays-event", "title": "These Are The 20 Space Startups Whose Founders Met PM Modi At Yesterday’s Event", "summary": "Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with founders and CEOs of 20 Indian space-tech startups on Friday at Seva Teerth in New Delhi, praising them as the 'Yuva Urja' of India's space sector. The startups, including Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, and Dhruva Space, span the space value chain from launch vehicles to AI-powered data platforms, and their confidence has strengthened the government's 2020 decision to open the space sector to private participation.", "body_md": "Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the founders and CEOs of 20 Indian space-tech startups on Friday at Seva Teerth in New Delhi, in a meeting that brought together the country’s most prominent private players building rockets, satellites, propulsion systems, debris-removal technology and AI-powered space data platforms. Modi, who is also India’s Union Minister for Department of Space, called the founders the “Yuva Urja” of India’s space sector. He praised them for taking risks in a new and demanding domain, and said the confidence shown by private companies had strengthened the government’s decision to open up the space sector to private participation back in 2020.\n\nThe 20 startups collectively span nearly every layer of the space value chain — from launch vehicles and rocket engines to Earth observation satellites, in-orbit servicing, space situational awareness, and downstream AI analytics. Here’s a look at each of them, what they do, who founded them, and how much they’ve raised.\n\n## 1. Skyroot Aerospace\n\n[Skyroot Aerospace](https://officechai.com/startups/skyroot-becomes-indias-first-space-unicorn-valued-at-1-1-billion-after-new-fundraise/) is India’s most valuable private space company and, as of a Series C round in May 2026, its first space “unicorn,” with a valuation of about $1.1 billion. Founded in 2018 by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka — both former ISRO scientists — Skyroot builds the Vikram series of small-satellite launch vehicles, named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space programme. The Hyderabad-based company made history in November 2022 as the first Indian private firm to launch a rocket to space with its sub-orbital Vikram-S mission, and it inaugurated its “Infinity Campus” manufacturing facility in late 2025 ahead of the debut of its orbital rocket, Vikram-1. Skyroot has raised roughly $160 million to date across multiple rounds, with backers including GIC, Temasek, BlackRock, Sherpalo Ventures and Solar Industries India.\n\n## 2. Agnikul Cosmos\n\n[Agnikul Cosmos](https://officechai.com/startups/indian-startup-agnikul-cosmos-says-it-has-successfully-test-fired-cluster-of-4-semi-cryogenic-3d-printed-rocket-engines/) is a Chennai-based launch vehicle company known for building the world’s first single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine. Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy and Janardhana Raju out of IIT Madras’s National Centre for Combustion Research and Development, Agnikul develops its Agnibaan rocket for micro and nano satellites, and is now working on stage-recovery technology to make its launch vehicles partly reusable. The company has raised over $75 million across multiple rounds, with a November 2025 raise of roughly $17 million valuing it at about $500 million, backed by HDFC Bank, Artha Select Fund, 100X.VC and others.\n\n## 3. Pixxel\n\n[Pixxel](https://officechai.com/startups/indian-space-startup-pixxel-wins-nasa-contract-to-provide-satellite-data/) is building what it calls the world’s highest-resolution hyperspectral Earth observation satellite constellation, capable of capturing data across hundreds of spectral bands to detect crop disease, methane leaks and illegal mining invisible to conventional imaging satellites. The Bengaluru-based company was founded in 2019 by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, then undergraduates at BITS Pilani, and has become one of the best-funded hyperspectral imaging companies globally, having raised close to $95-98 million from investors including Google, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Radical Ventures. In 2024, Pixxel became the first Indian private space-tech company to win a NASA contract, and it operates its Aurora AI-driven Earth observation platform alongside its Firefly satellite constellation.\n\n## 4. Dhruva Space\n\n[Dhruva Space](https://officechai.com/startups/dhruva-space-the-hyderabad-startup-building-indias-full-stack-space-infrastructure/) is a Hyderabad-based full-stack space engineering company offering satellite platforms, launch integration services, and ground station infrastructure. Founded in 2012 by Sanjay Nekkanti, Krishna Teja Penamakuru, Abhay Egoor and Chaitanya Dora Surapureddy, it is one of the oldest private spacetech companies in India and has since expanded from satellite manufacturing into a broader “space-to-ground” offering, including its AstraView commercial satellite imagery service and Ground Stations as a Service (GSaaS). Dhruva Space has raised roughly $28-31 million across multiple rounds, including backing from the government’s IN-SPACe-anchored Antariksh Venture Capital Fund (AVCF), Aditum Venture Capital Fund, Indian Angel Network and Blue Ashva Capital, alongside a Rs 105 crore grant under the government’s RDIF programme for satellite manufacturing at scale.\n\n## 5. GalaxEye\n\n[GalaxEye](https://officechai.com/startups/bengaluru-startup-galaxeye-successfully-launches-worlds-first-optosar-imaging-satellite/) is building what it describes as the world’s first multi-sensor Earth observation satellite, combining Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical multispectral sensors on a single platform to deliver high-resolution imaging regardless of weather or lighting conditions. The Bengaluru company was founded in 2021 by Suyash Singh, Denil Chawda, Kishan Thakkar, Pranit Mehta and Rakshit Bhatt, and its flagship Drishti Mission satellite is designed to serve defence, agriculture, insurance and infrastructure customers. GalaxEye has raised over $24 million to date, including a $10 million Series A round backed by MountTech Growth Fund and Infosys, plus an extended tranche from Speciale Invest and Rainmatter.\n\n## 6. PierSight\n\nPierSight is developing a constellation of miniaturised SAR satellites integrated with AIS (Automatic Identification System) technology to provide continuous, all-weather maritime surveillance — tracking everything from illegal fishing to oil spills. The Ahmedabad-based startup was founded in 2023 by Gaurav Seth, a former ISRO scientist who spent nine years working on SAR-based missions, and Vinit Bansal, who brings a background in aerospace and defence hardware prototyping from National Instruments. PierSight has raised around $8 million, including a seed extension backed by the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, CE-Ventures, and prominent angels like Swiggy co-founder Nandan Reddy, following the successful launch of its Varuna technology demonstrator satellite in December 2024.\n\n## 7. Bellatrix Aerospace\n\n[Bellatrix Aerospace](https://officechai.com/startups/bellatrix-aerospace-the-bengaluru-startup-building-indias-satellite-propulsion-backbone/), one of India’s earliest private spacetech companies, develops electric and chemical propulsion systems for satellites, including its Arka electric thrusters and Rudra green propulsion system, alongside its Pushpak orbital transfer vehicle. Founded in 2015 by Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam — who began developing the underlying microwave plasma thruster technology as students — Bellatrix has secured contracts with ISRO and is now expanding from propulsion hardware into full satellite platforms for Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) missions. The Bengaluru company has raised more than $40 million to date, including a $20 million pre-Series B round led by Cactus Partners, with backers such as BASF Venture Capital and Inflexor Ventures.\n\n## 8. Digantara\n\n[Digantara](https://officechai.com/startups/bangalore-based-startup-digantara-launches-satellite-aboard-spacexs-latest-rocket/) is building commercial space situational awareness (SSA) infrastructure to track debris and objects that threaten satellites in orbit, and has more recently expanded into space-based missile detection and tracking for government customers. Founded in 2018 by Anirudh Sharma, Rahul Rawat and Tanveer Ahmed, the Bengaluru company operates its Space Mission Assurance Platform (Space-MAP) and launched its first surveillance satellite, SCOT, in early 2026, alongside an office in Colorado Springs to serve the US defence market. Digantara has raised over $64 million total, including a $50 million Series B round in late 2025 backed by 360 ONE Asset, SBI Investment, Peak XV Partners, Kalaari Capital and serial entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala.\n\n## 9. SatSure\n\n[SatSure](https://officechai.com/startups/satsure-the-bengaluru-startup-thats-getting-indias-biggest-banks-to-invest-in-satellites/) applies satellite imagery, AI and big data analytics to deliver “decision intelligence” for agriculture, banking, insurance and infrastructure customers, most notably helping banks assess crop-backed loans without physical site visits. Founded in 2017 by Prateep Basu, Rashmit Singh Sukhmani and Abhishek Raju — all alumni of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology and former ISRO-linked researchers — the Bengaluru company’s flagship SatSure Sage platform has analysed farmer plots across nearly 200,000 villages in India. SatSure has raised close to $28 million across more than a dozen rounds, led by investors including Baring Private Equity Partners India, Promus Ventures, and banking majors like HDFC and ICICI Bank, and was recently selected for backing under IN-SPACe’s Technology Adoption Fund.\n\n## 10. Suhora Technologies\n\nSuhora Technologies operates a multi-sensor satellite data aggregation platform, pulling together SAR, optical and other satellite feeds from over 250 sensors globally to deliver intelligence for defence, disaster management and other sectors. The Noida-based company was founded in 2018 by Krishanu Acharya (CEO), Amit Kumar (COO) and Rupesh Kumar, and has built partnerships with satellite operators including Satellogic and Orbital Sidekick to widen the data sources it can draw on for its analytics products. Suhora has kept a comparatively lean funding profile, having raised capital including grant support from IN-SPACe and investment from the UK-India-focused Pontaq fund, and remains largely founder-owned.\n\n## 11. Manastu Space\n\nManastu Space is developing green, non-toxic propulsion systems for satellites, aiming to replace hazardous fuels like hydrazine with a proprietary hydrogen-peroxide-based propellant that the company says is 40 times less toxic and 60% cheaper to operate. Founded in 2017 by IIT Bombay alumni Tushar Jadhav and Ashtesh Kumar, the Mumbai-based startup successfully test-fired its VYOM 2U green propulsion system aboard ISRO’s PSLV C-60 mission in December 2024 and is now working toward in-orbit refuelling and satellite life-extension services. Manastu has raised close to $7 million across multiple rounds, including a $3 million extended Series A round in mid-2025 led by Capital-A, with participation from Capital 2B and Indian Angel Network.\n\n## 12. Astrobase\n\nAstrobase Space Technologies is developing advanced Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) LOX-methane rocket engines — one of the most technically demanding propulsion architectures in the world, and one that only SpaceX has previously flown commercially. Founded in Bengaluru in 2024 by Neeraj Khandelwal, co-founder of crypto exchange CoinDCX, and Devakumar Thammisetty, a former ISRO propulsion engineer, Astrobase unveiled its 800 kN “EVEREST” engine in August 2026, making India the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to develop an FFSC engine. The company has raised around $10 million in seed funding and was one of three startups selected by IN-SPACe’s Technology Adoption Fund out of 43 applicants, with a maiden orbital launch of its reusable medium-lift vehicle targeted for 2029.\n\n## 13. TakeMe2Space\n\nTakeMe2Space is building in-orbit AI compute infrastructure — essentially data centres in space — that let customers run AI models directly on satellites to cut down on the latency and cost of beaming raw data back to Earth. Founded in Hyderabad by Ronak Kumar Samantray, who previously built and sold the SaaS startup NowFloats Technologies to Reliance Industries, the company operates OrbitLab, billed as India’s first in-orbit AI laboratory, and has completed two missions in collaboration with ISRO’s PSLV Orbital Experiment Platform (POEM). TakeMe2Space has raised roughly $5.6 million so far, including a $5 million seed round led by Chiratae Ventures with participation from Unicorn India Ventures and SeaFund, and it was also selected under IN-SPACe’s Technology Adoption Fund.\n\n## 14. VyomIC\n\nVyomIC is developing India’s first private LEO-based satellite constellation for high-precision Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services — effectively building a next-generation, jamming-resistant alternative to GPS. The Chennai-based startup was founded by IIT Madras alumni Lokesh Kabdal, Vibhor Jain and Anurag Patil, who previously worked on India’s student-led hyperloop project and drone-swarm deployments before turning to satellite navigation. VyomIC raised $1.6 million in pre-seed funding in September 2025, led by Speciale Invest with participation from BYT Capital and DeVC, to advance its PNT payload and prepare for a spaceborne demonstration mission.\n\n## 15. Cosmoserve Space\n\nCosmoserve Space is developing autonomous robotic spacecraft to tackle one of the space industry’s biggest looming problems: orbital debris. The Hyderabad-based startup, founded in 2025 by Dr Chiranjeevi Phanindra, a former ISRO scientist and deputy project director on India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, uses a dual-spacecraft “Mothercraft and Reviver” system with soft-robotics-based capture to approach and safely deorbit debris and defunct satellites, including non-cooperative targets. Cosmoserve raised $3.17 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round — one of the largest ideation-stage raises in Indian spacetech — led by investor Alan Rutledge with participation from AUM Ventures, Shakti VC, and early Google investor Ram Shriram.\n\n## 16. OrbitAID Aerospace\n\nOrbitAID Aerospace is building a network of “fuel stations in space” to refuel and extend the life of ageing satellites, using its patented Standard Interface Docking and Refueling Port (SIDRP). Founded in 2021 by Sakthikumar R (CEO), Nikhil Balasubramanian and Mano K, who met while working at the Indian Institute of Science, the Chennai and Bengaluru-based company plans in-orbit docking and refuelling demonstrations, and has partnered with ISRO on facilities and technical guidance even after the loss of its first satellite, AayulSat, in a January 2026 launch mishap. OrbitAID has raised roughly $2 million to date, including a $1.5 million pre-seed round led by Unicorn India Ventures with support from the Tamil Nadu government’s StartupTN/TANSIM programme.\n\n## 17. SkyServe (Hyspace)\n\nSkyServe, operating under the legal entity Hyspace Technologies, builds onboard edge AI systems that let Earth observation satellites process imagery in orbit rather than downlinking raw data for ground-based analysis — enabling faster detection of events like wildfires and floods. The Bengaluru-based company was founded in 2020 by Adithya K, Vinay S and Vishesh Vatsal, engineers with backgrounds in deep-space missions, and its STORM platform has been used to run NASA JPL’s wildfire and flood-detection algorithms directly onboard satellites in partnership with Loft Orbital. SkyServe has raised a comparatively modest $500,000 seed round to date, reflecting its early but technically differentiated position in the growing on-orbit compute space.\n\n## 18. Serendipity Space\n\n[Serendipity Space](https://officechai.com/startups/how-bhubaneswar-based-startup-serendipity-space-is-making-medicines-in-orbit/) is one of the more unusual entrants on this list, working on in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing — using microgravity to grow purer, more uniform drug crystals than is possible on Earth, where gravity-induced defects limit the quality of protein-based therapies. The Bhubaneswar-headquartered startup was founded in 2024 by Antariksh Parichha (CEO), Jivitesh Debata and Dr Monica Ekal, a space robotics researcher with prior experience at Germany’s DLR and as a visiting scholar at NASA. In March 2026, the company successfully flew its autonomous pharmaceutical crystallisation module, “Alchemy,” to the edge of space on a stratospheric balloon and recovered it intact, a milestone step toward eventual orbital drug manufacturing. Serendipity Space raised an undisclosed pre-seed round from Campus Fund in mid-2025.\n\n## 19. Vassar Labs\n\nVassar Labs is a data analytics and AI company applying satellite imagery, IoT and machine learning to challenges in water management, agriculture, disaster response and energy — building systems used by state governments to replace manual reporting with real-time monitoring. Founded in 2014 by Nikhilesh Kumar (CEO) and Prasad Putta, alumni of IIT and MIT, the Hyderabad-based company operates its Integrated Water Resource Information Management System alongside a broader suite of climate and enterprise digital transformation tools, and has grown to nearly 200 employees. Unlike most others on this list, Vassar Labs has largely grown on the back of revenue rather than venture capital, and does not have a significant disclosed external funding history.\n\n## 20. mistEO\n\nmistEO is a Kerala-based climate fintech and spacetech startup that combines satellite imagery and ground sensor data to deliver AI-powered weather, climate and agriculture intelligence, with a particular focus on the financial-risk side of extreme weather events for sectors like insurance, banking and livestock management. Founded in 2019 by Samuel John (CEO), Chacko Jacob, Ditto Sheela Pankajakshan and Nick Kumaran, the Thiruvananthapuram-headquartered company’s tools have been used by dairy farmers to track heat stress and by financial institutions to price climate-related risk, and it was recently selected for Maruti Suzuki’s startup accelerator programme. mistEO has raised funding in smaller tranches, including early seed capital and grant support, rather than large venture rounds.\n\nTogether, these 20 companies illustrate just how broad India’s private space economy has become in a few short years — spanning everything from reusable rocket engines to space pharma. As per government figures, India’s spacetech sector is projected to grow from roughly $8 billion in 2022 to as much as $40-77 billion by the early 2030s, and Friday’s meeting with the Prime Minister signals the extent to which the government now sees this as a strategic priority.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/these-are-the-20-space-startups-whose-founders-met-pm-modi-at-yesterdays-event", "canonical_source": "https://officechai.com/startups/these-are-the-20-space-startups-whose-founders-met-pm-modi-at-yesterdays-event/", "published_at": "2026-08-22 15:05:49+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-22 15:13:08.743270+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["Narendra Modi", "Skyroot Aerospace", "Agnikul Cosmos", "Pixxel", "Dhruva Space", "ISRO", "Google", "Lightspeed Venture Partners"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/these-are-the-20-space-startups-whose-founders-met-pm-modi-at-yesterdays-event", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/these-are-the-20-space-startups-whose-founders-met-pm-modi-at-yesterdays-event.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/these-are-the-20-space-startups-whose-founders-met-pm-modi-at-yesterdays-event.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/these-are-the-20-space-startups-whose-founders-met-pm-modi-at-yesterdays-event.jsonld"}}