Bengaluru-based space-tech startup Astrogate Labs is currently in the process of raising seed funding worth of $3.5-4 million. Earlier in 2020, it had raised a pre-seed funding of $750,000 in a round involving Anicut Angel Fund, SuprValue.vc and others.

The startup works in satellite communications and offers laser-enabled solutions designed to weather harsh conditions.

There are many players in space-tech working on satellite communications but Nitish Singh, co-founder and CEO of Astrogate Labs, says they are the only ones in the country to provide end-to-end solutions for satellite communications.

Which means that if someone has a satellite in orbit for five to six years, and they want to access the data from satellites, Astrogate Labs will be providing flight terminals, ground stations, and other components which can be integrated with satellites. “Once the satellite is up in space, customers will pay us based on the data that they are downloading to our ground station,” he said.

The upcoming fundraise will be invested in ground stations, flight terminals, and so on. Singh declined to comment on the valuation resulting from the funding exercise.

“We are currently raising our next round of funding which will help us to establish commercial ground stations, space-to-space terminals – which we currently have in R&D. Our space-to-ground terminal has already been developed and has been qualified for space,” he said. This funding will also be useful for Astrogate Labs’ first space mission where it plans to onboard the space-to-ground terminal to a nanosatellite.

For the ground station, Singh said that they have collaborations in Australia as part of which they are planning to deploy their first optical ground station. “So, based on the fundraising, we will be able to roll out our service by the end of next year,” he added.