In a significant boost to India’s burgeoning space-tech ecosystem, Inbound Aerospace, a startup incubated at IIT Madras, has raised $1 million in seed funding to advance its cutting-edge space launch solutions.
The funding round was led by Speciale Invest, with participation from Piper Serica Angel Fund and other high-net-worth individuals from the deep-tech space. The capital will be used to accelerate R&D, expand the team, and develop reusable and cost-effective space propulsion systems for small satellite launches.
“India is at an inflection point in the space-tech domain,” said Arjun Rao, General Partner at Speciale Invest. “Inbound Aerospace is solving critical challenges in propulsion and launch systems that will unlock the next era of satellite deployment.”
🚀 What Inbound Aerospace Does
Founded by aerospace engineers and IIT alumni, Inbound Aerospace is focused on:
- Building modular micro-launch vehicles
- Developing eco-friendly propulsion systems
- Enabling low-cost access to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
The startup claims its platform will reduce payload launch costs by over 40%, catering to India’s growing small satellite and defence tech market.
🇮🇳 India’s Private Space Push
This investment comes on the heels of India’s increasingly open stance toward private space ventures:
- ISRO’s collaboration with startups has increased post-2023 reforms
- Skyroot and Agnikul, also IIT alumni ventures, have shown promising test launches
- India aims to capture 10% of the global space economy by 2030
Inbound Aerospace’s success underlines how academic-incubator models, especially at IITs, are fostering viable commercial space startups with real orbital ambitions.
Source: Economic Times
