Ahmedabad-based space-tech startup Orbitt Space, founded by ex-ISRO scientists Christopher Parmar and Anupam Kumar in early 2025, has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding led by pi Ventures, with participation from IIMA Ventures. This investment aims to revolutionize satellite operations in the largely untapped Ultra Low Earth Orbit (ULEO), below 250 km altitude.
Orbitt Space is developing a breakthrough air-breathing electric propulsion system and an advanced satellite bus platform tailored for ULEO. This orbital zone offers advantages like sharper imaging and lower signal latency but faces challenges due to high atmospheric drag and fuel limitations. The company's propulsion system uniquely uses residual atmospheric gases as propellant, eliminating the need for onboard fuel.
The funding will accelerate the design and development of Orbitt's proprietary propulsion technology and avionics, enable the recruitment of a world-class team, and fund rigorous prototype testing. Orbitt aims to validate its technology and pave the way for sustainable, debris-free, long-duration satellite missions in ULEO, potentially transforming Earth observation, telecommunications, and climate monitoring.