Bengaluru-based space-tech startup Pixxel has raised $100 million in a Series C funding round, which the company said is the largest single funding round secured by an Indian space-tech company. The round was co-led by Singapore-based investment company Temasek and specialist space investor Seraphim Space. New investors 360 ONE Asset and IMM Investment also participated, alongside existing backers including Radical Ventures and growX Ventures.
The latest investment takes Pixxel’s total funding to $195 million. Before the Series C round, the company had raised $95 million. In December 2024, Pixxel announced a $24 million extension that took its total Series B funding to $60 million.
Pixxel said the new capital will be used to expand its satellite sensing capabilities, develop its Earth intelligence software platform, build sovereign Earth observation systems and increase satellite manufacturing capacity in India and the US. The company is also planning to expand the range of sensing technologies available through its satellite systems.
One of the key developments planned with the funding is Pixxel’s next-generation Honeybee hyperspectral satellite constellation. The constellation is expected to extend observations into the shortwave infrared spectrum, with the first Honeybee satellite scheduled for launch in 2027. Pixxel also plans to add synthetic aperture radar and ultra-high-resolution optical imaging to its sensing capabilities.
The company will also invest in Aurora, its Earth intelligence software platform. Aurora combines multiple satellite datasets to generate insights intended to support decision-making. The platform forms part of Pixxel’s broader effort to combine satellite sensing with software-based Earth intelligence.
Pixxel founder and CEO Awais Ahmed said the company had initially set out to develop technology for monitoring the planet and that the latest investment would provide the scale to expand that vision. “Years ago, we set out to build a health monitor for the planet,” Ahmed said.
Founded in 2019 by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel initially focused on hyperspectral Earth observation satellites. Hyperspectral imaging captures information across numerous narrow bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing materials and changes on the Earth’s surface to be identified in greater detail than through conventional imagery.
Pixxel currently operates six Firefly hyperspectral satellites, which it describes as the world’s highest-resolution commercial hyperspectral satellite constellation. Three Firefly satellites were launched in January 2025, followed by another three later that year. The operational constellation provides imagery across more than 135 spectral bands in the visible and near-infrared range, with a ground resolution of about five metres.
The company has also established relationships with US government agencies. NASA selected Pixxel in 2024 as one of eight companies under its Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition programme, through which the agency can acquire commercial Earth observation data for scientific research.
In May 2026, the US National Reconnaissance Office awarded Pixxel a contract under its Strategic Commercial Enhancements programme to assess commercial hyperspectral imaging capabilities. The development adds to Pixxel’s work with US government agencies as the company continues to expand its Earth observation capabilities.
Pixxel is also expanding its satellite manufacturing operations. The company has previously said that its upcoming Gigapixxel facility is being designed to support the production of up to 100 satellites. The latest funding will contribute to increasing satellite manufacturing capacity in both India and the US.
The funding comes as India’s private space industry continues to attract capital following reforms that opened the sector to greater private participation. For Pixxel, the Series C investment will support expansion across satellite sensing, Earth intelligence software, sovereign Earth observation systems and manufacturing capacity.
With the latest funding round, Pixxel plans to expand its satellite capabilities through the Honeybee constellation, broaden its sensing technologies and continue developing Aurora. The company’s existing Firefly constellation, government engagements and planned manufacturing expansion form part of its ongoing work in commercial hyperspectral Earth observation.
