Deep-tech startup Aule Space raises $2 Mn in pre-seed round led by pi Ventures

Deep tech startup Aule Space has raised $2 million in a pre seed funding round led by pi Ventures, with participation from a clutch of angel investors including Eash Sundaram, Arvind Lakshmikumar, and others. The startup has been part of the Entrepreneurs First accelerator programme and is also backed by the Transpose Platform.

The proceeds will be used to expand its engineering team, build ground infrastructure for docking tests, and advance the development of its first demonstration satellites, which are set to launch next year, Aule Space said in a press release.

Co-founded in 2024 by Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri, and Hrishit Tambi, Aule Space is a space technology startup building satellites that can approach and attach to other satellites in orbit. The startup aims to use this technology to extend the life of high value satellites, inspect space assets at close range, and safely retire non functional satellites, helping make space operations more sustainable and cost effective.

Aule Space addresses the challenge of satellite fuel scarcity by deploying its autonomous jetpack satellite, which can dock with existing GEO satellites, remain attached, and maintain the orbital position of the host satellite, extending its operational life by up to six years.

According to the Bengaluru based startup, its upcoming satellites will validate Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking, or RPOD, the capability for spacecraft to safely approach, manoeuvre near, and physically attach to other objects in orbit. It intends to develop a satellite agnostic docking mechanism combined with advanced AI driven Guidance, Navigation and Control algorithms, enabling the creation of the lightest and most cost efficient fleets of RPOD enabled satellites.

The startup plans to launch demonstration RPOD satellites next year to validate its docking technology and lay the groundwork for commercial deployment. In the long term, it aspires to operate a robotic workforce for the space economy.

Similar Indian companies in this space include Orbitaid, which focuses on refueling interfaces, Inspecity, which focuses on the LEO market, and Cosmoserve, which focuses on debris removal. A global competitor, Northrop Grumman, has completed non cooperative docking with a legacy satellite and extended its life by five years at a cost of $13 million per year.