Digantara To Invest Up To $15 Mn For Building Spacecraft Manufacturing Unit In US

SUMMARY

Digantara plans to invest between $10-15 Mn to set up a spacecraft manufacturing and space optics facility in Colorado, with the state pledging $1 Mn in incentives

The expansion follows the launch of SCOT satellite and comes with multiple US Department of Defense contracts, including with Air Force and Space Force

The spacetech startup aims to achieve $25-30 Mn in revenue over next two years through government contracts and defence deals in both US and Indian markets

Expanding its footprint in the US, Bengaluru-based spacetech startup Digantara is looking to invest $10-15 Mn over the next six to eight months to build a dedicated spacecraft manufacturing and space optics production centre in Colorado.

The State of Colorado has pledged close to $1 Mn in operational incentives to accelerate Digantara’s expansion into the US.

“Our expansion into the US reinforces our commitment to advancing space surveillance and intelligence globally. As space threats evolve, so must our investments in resilient technologies, positioning us to support mission-critical defence and intelligence operations,” said Anirudh Sharma, cofounder and CEO of Digantara.

The company has already secured contracts with multiple department of defence agencies, including the United States Air Force and Space Force, and is actively engaged in flagship programmes led by the Space Rapid Capability Office and Space Systems Command’s SDA TAP LAB.

Founded in 2018 by Sharma, Rahul Rawat and Tanveer Ahmed, Digantara has its own space debris detector as its flagship offering and aims to create a constellation of satellites to track objects as small as 1 cm.

Last month, Digantara launched its Space Camera for Object Tracking (SCOT) satellite. This satellite is designed for space surveillance, capable of tracking objects as small as 5 cm in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

In February last year, the startup marked the final close of its Series A1 funding round at $12 Mn, backed by Peak XV Partners, Aditya Birla Ventures and SIDBI.

The company recently unveiled a 25,000 sq ft satellite assembly, integration, and testing centre in Bengaluru’s Hebbal area. With this US expansion, Digantara aims to achieve $25-30 Mn in revenue over the next two years through government contracts and defence deals in both markets.

The expansion comes amid significant growth in India’s spacetech ecosystem, which has spawned the rise of homegrown players such as Agnikul, Bellatrix, Pixxel, and Skyroot.

According to Inc42’s Indian Startup Funding Report 2024, total funding raised by Indian spacetech startups fell 35% YoY to $81 Mn last year, even as the number of deals rose from 11 in 2023 to 14 in 2024.