Google led a $36 million Series B funding round in Pixxel, a Bengaluru-based space tech business. This investment, made through Google’s India Digitisation Fund, is an important step forward in the Indian Government’s privatisation programme, which was announced earlier this year.
Pixxel, a satellite-imaging firm launched in 2019, is working to develop a constellation of satellites capable of discovering mineral resources and analysing crop yield using spectral image analysis. In addition, the company intends to deliver broadband services comparable to SpaceX’s Starlink, as well as power applications such as supply chain tracking.
Awais Ahmed, the Founder and CEO of Pixxel, expressed his excitement about the investment, stating that Pixxel will become “the most valued space tech company in India” as a result.
Pixxel gained attention in April last year when it successfully launched its hyperspectral imaging satellite, named ‘Shakuntala,’ using SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket. Shakuntala’s primary objective is to monitor climate change.
Google’s investment in Pixxel is consistent with the company’s aim to help India’s digital economy. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, launched a $10 billion Google for India Digitisation Fund at the Google for India 2022 event, with the goal of accelerating the country’s digital transformation.
Ahmed noted that this is not Pixxel’s first partnership with Google, as the company has already worked on satellite data, agriculture, and environmental applications that correlate with Google’s expertise. Ahmed emphasised the synergy between Pixxel’s work and Google’s existing endeavours, such as Google Earth, as the driving force behind this investment.
Pixxel intends to launch six more satellites next year, in addition to the three already in orbit. In addition, the company is looking to increase its analytics skills and is actively hiring engineers to help it grow.
Ahmed claimed that he was inspired to launch a space tech company after visiting Elon Musk’s SpaceX and competing in a student competition to build a demonstration hyperloop transport pod. Ahmed and co-founder Kshitij Khandelwal want to create an AI model that uses satellite data to estimate crop yields, detect illegal mining, and track natural disasters.
Google’s investment in Pixxel highlights the growing interest and investments in the space tech sector in India. With the support of Google and other investors, Pixxel is poised to further advance its satellite capabilities and contribute to the development of the Indian space industry