Bengaluru-based planetary infrastructure company Pixxel has raised $100 million in its Series C funding round, the single largest funding round by a space technology company in India.
The round was co-led by Singapore state investor Temasek and UK-based space investor Seraphim, the company announced on September 7. New investors 360 ONE Asset and Seoul-based IMM Investment participated, along with existing investors Radical Ventures and growX ventures. The fundraise takes Pixxel’s total funding to $195 million.
Pixxel, founded by Awais Ahmed, is one of the Indian space startups that emerged after the government opened the sector to private players. The Google-backed startup began with hyperspectral satellites that could reveal information about Earth’s surface beyond what conventional imagery could capture.
Since then, it has expanded beyond hyperspectral imaging into what it calls planetary infrastructure — spanning advanced sensing satellites, Earth intelligence software, sovereign space systems, and satellite manufacturing.
The fresh capital will accelerate that expansion. The funds will be used to expand its sensing capabilities through its Honeybee satellite constellation and high-resolution optical imaging satellites, while further developing Aurora, its Earth intelligence software platform that turns observation data into actionable insights.
The company has deployed six Firefly satellites and has secured contracts with NASA and the US National Reconnaissance Office. It has also been selected to lead India’s first public-private Earth observation constellation of 12 satellites under IN-SPACe.
“Years ago, we set out to build a health monitor for the planet. Hyperspectral imaging gave us a fundamentally new way to see Earth. This new investment gives us the scale to turn that vision into planetary infrastructure,” said Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of Pixxel.
