Pixxel Space Technologies
Pixxel is a Bengaluru-based spacetech startup building the world's highest-resolution commercial hyperspectral Earth-imaging constellation. Founded in 2019 at BITS Pilani by Awais Ahmed (CEO) and Kshi
Last verified:
At a Glance
- Headquarters
- Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Type
- Company (listed)
- Founded
- 2019 (at BITS Pilani by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal)
- India entity
- null
- Listed
- Not listed — private startup; Series B total $60M (Jun 2023 + Dec 2024 extension); investors include Google, Radical Ventures, Lightspeed, Blume Ventures
- Key India role
- Pixxel is a Bengaluru-based spacetech startup building the world's highest-resolution commercial hyperspectral Earth-imaging constellation. Founded in 2019 at BITS Pilani by Awais Ahmed (CEO) and Kshi
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- key specs
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What It Is
Pixxel is a Bengaluru-based spacetech startup building the world's highest-resolution commercial hyperspectral Earth-imaging constellation. Founded in 2019 at BITS Pilani by Awais Ahmed (CEO) and Kshitij Khandelwal (CTO). The Firefly constellation (6 satellites, all launched 2025) provides 5 m spatial resolution with 150+ spectral bands — capturing up to 50× more data than conventional multispectral satellites. Pixxel is the first Indian company to be selected for NASA's $476M Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program On-Ramp1 Multiple Award Contract (Sep 2024), enabling supply of hyperspectral EO data to NASA and US Government/academic partners through November 2028. Phase-1 of Firefly completed 26 Aug 2025 with the launch of 3 additional satellites aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 NAOS mission. Next-generation Honeybee constellation scheduled for 2026. Total funding $60M+ (Series B led by Google Jun 2023 + $24M extension Dec 2024).
Deployments & Procurement
4 documented India deployment(s)/procurement(s).
| Agency | Context | Year | Quantity / Note | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple | First 3 Firefly satellites launched earlier in 2025; next 3 Firefly satellites launched 26 Aug 2025 (PDT) aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 NAOS mission — completes Phase-1 of 6-satellite Firefly constellation | 2025 | — | [1][2][3] |
| Multiple | NASA CSDA (Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition) Program On-Ramp1 Multiple Award Contract — $476M contract ceiling, announced 9 Sep 2024; runs through November 2028; Pixxel supplies hyperspectral EO data to NASA and US Government/academic partners | 2024 | — | [1][2][3] |
| Multiple | Total funding: Series B $36M led by Google (Jun 2023) + $24M Series B extension (Dec 2024) = $60M total Series B; investors include Google, Radical Ventures, Lightspeed, Blume Ventures, Glade Brook | 2023 | — | [1][2][3] |
| Multiple | Plans 24-satellite commercial hyperspectral constellation by 2024-25 (per EO Portal) for 24-hour revisit (later refined to Firefly 6 + Honeybee next-gen) | 2024 | — | [1][2][3] |
Import Dependencies
Not analysed in this dossier.
Intelligence Assessment
Methodology: /research/methodology/
FAQ
What is Pixxel's flagship product?
The Firefly constellation — 6 commercial hyperspectral imaging satellites with 5 m spatial resolution and 150+ spectral bands, all launched in 2025 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9
What is the value of Pixxel's NASA contract?
Pixxel was selected for NASA's $476M Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program On-Ramp1 Multiple Award contract (Sep 2024), running through November 2028
Sources
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