Ahmedabad's Orbitt Space Secures USD 1 Mn Funding Led by pi Ventures
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Orbitt Space, an Ahmedabad-based space-tech startup, has raised USD 1 million in pre-seed funding led by pi Ventures, with participation from IIMA Ventures. This milestone investment will power the company's development of breakthrough air-breathing electric propulsion systems and advanced satellite bus platforms tailored for Ultra Low Earth Orbit (ULEO), a largely untapped orbital zone below 250 km altitude.
Founded in early 2025 by ex-ISRO scientists Christopher Parmar (CEO) and Anupam Kumar (CTO), Orbitt Space is on a mission to redefine satellite operations. Drawing from their hands-on experience with high-reliability space systems, the founders aim to solve the critical challenges of high atmospheric drag and limited fuel capacity that have historically prevented long-duration missions in ULEO.
The freshly raised capital will be deployed across three core areas: accelerating product design and engineering, expanding Orbitt's elite team of space scientists and engineers, and conducting rigorous prototype testing to validate their proprietary propulsion and avionics systems.
"ULEO is the cleanest and most strategic orbit around Earth, yet it has remained inaccessible until now," said Parmar. "Our electric propulsion system will change that, enabling satellites to operate longer missions at low altitudes while delivering advanced imaging and data capabilities without contributing to orbital pollution."
Orbitt Space is developing a novel propulsion technology that uses residual atmospheric gases as propellant, eliminating the need for traditional onboard fuel. This fuel-free system, integrated into a 200kg-class agile satellite bus, will empower missions in Earth observation, telecommunications, climate monitoring, surveillance, and scientific research—areas where sharper imaging, low latency, and radiation protection are key advantages of ULEO.
Kumar added, "For us, this isn't just about building propulsion systems—it's about reshaping how we access space. Our goal is to redefine global benchmarks for satellite performance, cost, and sustainability."
Shubham Sandeep, Managing Director at pi Ventures, said "Orbitt Space is reimagining in-space propulsion by replacing traditional fuel with atmospheric gases. We're thrilled to support their bold vision for a cleaner, more efficient future in spacetech."
Currently in the development phase, Orbitt plans to validate its systems with in-orbit demonstrations before launching commercially.
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