Thane-based spacetech startup InspeCity has raised INR 100 crore, approximately USD 10.4 million, in a pre-Series A funding round co-led by veteran investor Ashish Kacholia and Speciale Invest. The round also saw participation from Antler India, Shastra VC, existing backers, and multiple angel investors. The company intends to use the fresh capital to support four in-orbit missions over the next 12 to 18 months while advancing its in-space servicing technologies toward flight qualification and commercial deployment.
Funding Details and Investor Backing
The funding round was co-led by Ashish Kacholia, a prominent public market investor, and venture capital firm Speciale Invest. Speciale Invest noted that it has now backed InspeCity three times, having first invested in 2023 and again in 2025. The round included Antler India, Shastra VC, and a group of existing backers and angel investors, signalling continued confidence in the company's integrated approach.
Planned In-Orbit Missions
InspeCity cofounder Arindrajit Chowdhury said the startup will focus on government-backed research and development projects, upcoming space missions, and the productionisation of its propulsion systems. The planned missions are designed to demonstrate capabilities in rendezvous and proximity operations, propulsion, and robotics. Some missions will involve a single satellite, while others will require the startup to deploy both a target and a chaser satellite.
Testing and Qualification Progress
The company has completed functional and environmental testing of its propulsion system and received clearances from ISRO laboratories. Chowdhury said the startup is now ready to integrate the propulsion system with a satellite and fly it. This progress supports the broader goal of moving its in-space servicing technologies toward flight qualification and commercial use.
Integrated In-Space Servicing Stack
Founded in 2022 by Arindrajit Chowdhury and Tausif Shaikh, InspeCity is building in-orbit satellite servicing and deorbiting solutions. Its in-space servicing stack includes GITA for spacecraft propulsion and mobility, CHAKSU for sensing and proximity operations, RAMA for robotic manipulation, and SPARSH for cooperative docking and in-orbit propellant transfer. The company has also developed VEDA as the satellite bus that houses these systems, creating an integrated platform for movement, vision, and physical interaction in orbit.
Investor Thesis and Commercial Momentum
Speciale Invest said its conviction rests on the growing need to service, refuel, inspect, and deorbit satellites as more spacecraft reach orbit. InspeCity has won a series of iDEX grants across sensing, micro-propulsion, and space robotics, adding significant non-dilutive capital. The startup has also reported letters of intent and commercial contracts from customers in India and abroad, with its next mission expected to validate the sensing and propulsion stack in orbit.
Indian Spacetech Market Momentum
The round comes amid rapid growth in India's spacetech sector, driven by policy reforms, cost advantages, rising patient capital, and strong engineering talent. Recent activity includes 360 ONE Asset launching a defence and space strategy fund with a target corpus of INR 1,000 crore and Skyroot Aerospace becoming India's first spacetech unicorn after raising USD 60 million. GalaxEye and Bellatrix Aerospace also secured funding earlier this year, while the space economy could become a USD 44 billion opportunity by 2033.
InspeCity's latest funding round highlights the increasing investor confidence in India's ability to build advanced in-space servicing capabilities. The company is now focused on executing its upcoming missions and converting validation milestones into firm commercial contracts, which would set the stage for a Series A round. As the domestic space economy expands, InspeCity is positioning itself at the intersection of propulsion, robotics, and orbital logistics.