GalaxEye, a private Indian startup, is pushing the boundaries in space technology with its maiden multi-sensor Earth observation satellite, Mission Drishti. Weighing 180kg, the satellite is equipped with a seven-band multispectral imager and a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor, making it India's first multi-sensor Earth observation satellite.
The satellite is designed to collect and merge optical and SAR data in one satellite, adding a layer of AI to offer clear and readable earth observation data to clients from military to shipping. GalaxEye's CEO, Sushant Singh, says, 'It's creating reliable data like GPS and offering a platform so anyone can build applications on top of it.'
The startup has faced several challenges, including a blanket ban on radar testing, but has managed to overcome them with innovative solutions. GalaxEye has built an AI platform called SyncFusion that reconstructs and offers an optical image of the earth surface even on cloudy days, which was recently patented in the US and India.
With a total funding of around $14 million, GalaxEye has built the satellite, increased its staff to 100+, and moved to a 50,000 square feet facility in Bengaluru. The startup aims to sell easily readable earth observation data and data analytics to clients in defence, maritime, insurance, and natural disaster once its satellite is up and running, sometime around May or June this year.
GalaxEye plans to raise Series B funding once revenue streams solidify and launch 20-25 more satellites in space by 2035, with a goal of having 10% participation in sovereign space of India by 2035.
