Spacetech Firm TakeMe2Space Secures $5 Million Seed Funding
TakeMe2Space, an Indian spacetech startup, has successfully closed a $5 million seed funding round. Chiratae Ventures led the investment, with participation from Artha Venture Fund, SeaFund, and Unicorn India Ventures. This capital infusion marks a significant step for the company as it aims to expand its presence in the burgeoning space technology sector.
Expanding Satellite Constellation and In-Orbit Compute
The newly acquired funds will be primarily directed towards expanding TakeMe2Space's satellite constellation. The startup plans to grow its network to six spacecraft, significantly increasing its in-orbit compute capability to approximately 5 kW. A key feature of the expanded constellation will be optical satellite link (OSL) communication between satellites, enabling the creation of a high-throughput orbital network.
Global Ambitions and R&D Push
TakeMe2Space intends to broaden its operational footprint, establishing a presence in India, the United States, and Australia. The company will also focus on strengthening its partnerships with ground station providers and assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) firms. A portion of the funding is earmarked for expanding its engineering and global sales teams, alongside accelerating crucial research and development initiatives.
AI-First Data Center in Space
Founded in 2024, TakeMe2Space focuses on providing in-orbit data processing through AI-inferencing infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit. Its "Made-in-India" satellites allow users to upload models and process data directly in space via the OrbitLab platform for as little as $2 per minute. This vision aims to create an AI-first data center in space, promising cost reductions of 5-8X for industries such as agriculture, mining, logistics, and environmental monitoring.
The company recently launched its first major orbital satellite, MOI-1, powering OrbitLab. Founder and CEO Ronak Kumar Samantray stated that this evolution from a single-satellite solution to a networked system will offer customers near real-time compute services. TakeMe2Space also reported successful demonstrations of uplinking large AI models, executing external code on a satellite, and securely downlinking encrypted results. It further validated its radiation shielding coating, designed to extend satellite life using standard electronic components.
