What happens when a satellite breaks down in space while travelling at an incredible speed of 27,000 km/h? This is a key challenge satellite operators face in Earth’s orbit, where multi-million-dollar assets can run out of fuel or suffer critical failures. Spacetech startup InspeCity is trying to solve this problem with its service offerings, and it has just secured a big boost to do so. The Thane-based firm has raised a pre-Series A funding of Rs 100 crore to quickly move from laboratory research to active deployment in space. The funding round was led by VC firmSpeciale Investand prominent technology investorAshish Kacholia, with participation from Antler Elevate, Antler India, Manish Gandhi, Shastra VC, and others. The startup aims to be an ‘in-orbit service provider’ by servicing, repairing, and refuelling satellites while they are still in orbit and safely removing space debris. Arindrajit Chowdhury, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of InspeCity, says the first portion of the newly raised funds will match government grants for active projects under India’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme. The second portion is designated for building and launching its first series of in-orbit missions. The final part will be used to strengthen the startup’s team and establish a new work-and-research facility, as InspeCity moves from a research-focused laboratory to an execution-led commercial enterprise. InspeCity was founded in 2022 by Chowdhury, a professor at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) and an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, and Tausif Shaikh, an alumnus of IIT Bombay. Chowdhury’s academic background influenced his initial approach to building InspeCity, as he set off on the journey with deep appreciation for technical rigour along with some trepidation. In an interview toYourStory, Chowdhury recalls his academic days when writing research proposals for government agencies often felt gruelling due to endless checks and balances. This experience taught him patience and administrative persistence, which proved invaluable when transitioning InspeCity into a private business. He is extremely passionate about the human element in deeptech development. He views systems engineering as not just a technical exercise but also as a profound human challenge. To him, the process of aligning exceptionally talented and highly diverse minds to work towards a singular goal is a beautiful puzzle. The commercial space industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom, but this has also created a massive logistical problem. The number of active satellites has increased dramatically in recent times, which has, in tandem, led to a rise in hazardous space debris. Spinning, vibrating defunct satellites and fragments present a constant threat of collisions that could destroy active space infrastructure. However, a congested orbit is also a significant business opportunity for ‘in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing’. Instead of con
