The way Rama Afullo tells it, he saw orbital data centers coming.
The Kenyan American engineer previously worked in Google’s cloud computing business before a brief stint at SpaceX’s Starlink communications network in 2024. His experiences convinced him that there was untapped potential for computers in space.
“When I was at SpaceX, I tried to pitch this internally. They said no. When I was at Google, I tried to pitch this internally. They said no,” he tells TechCrunch.
So he left SpaceX and co-founded Satlyt, a new company with headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, and Nairobi, to build software for satellites that he hopes will let many satellites share the work of large computing jobs in space. The company has raised an $8 million seed round, Afullo exclusively told TechCrunch.
The timing looks good for him. SpaceX has since gone all-in on orbital data centers, and Satlyt’s software is set to launch Thursday on a SpaceX rocket alongside the first prototype for Google’s space data center effort, Project Suncatcher.
Unlike SpaceX, Google, or startups like Starcloud and Cowboy Space Company, Satlyt isn’t planning to build its own spacecraft. Afullo’s team is building the software to operate AI models on satellites, comparing his approach to VMWare and Snowflake—companies whose platforms let users run complex software without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
“The folks like SpaceX who are doing orbital data centers—if they are the iPhone, we’ll build Android as a horizontally integrated, open ecosystem,” he said. In other words, Satlyt wants to offer software that works across many companies’ satellites.
Satlyt has already flown its software on two demonstration missions. The initial focus is finding operational efficiencies for spacecraft, which typically depend on flight controllers on the ground to solve any problems that arise. Sending data back to Earth, known as downlink, is expensive and often slow, so using AI to make decisions on the spacecraft can mean real savings, either when resolving anomalies or by processing sensor readings on the spacecraft instead of on the ground.
Earlier this year, Satlyt deployed Google DeepMind’s Gemma AI model onboard a spacecraft operated by Momentus. The model cut the size of a transmission about onboard software errors by more than 60%, the kind of efficiency that Afullo says can save hundreds of thousands of dollars per satellite each year.
This week’s launch will put Satlyt’s software to work onboard a spacecraft built by TakeMe2Space, an Indian startup that builds computing hardware for satellites. The mission involves three customers: NASA, which is paying the company to test protocols for cloud computing in space; Stellerian, a start-up focused on space surveillance (tracking objects in orbit) that wants to test image processing workloads; and TakeMe2Space itself, to show the satellite can host other companies’ software.
Right now, few high-powered GPUs are in orbit. For now, the most likely opportunity lies in the kinds of workloads Satlyt is working on. But the company’s next project is to show that it can create a shared computing system—a cloud—spanning two different satellites, which it expects to attempt next year. If successful, it will allow the company to build a true compute cloud in orbit as a third-party provider to spacecraft builders.
The way to think about it is that we turn your satellite into a revenue-generating managed service,” Afullo said.
Satlyt’s seed round was led by Houston-based Non Sibi Ventures, where partner Bernard Harris, who served as a NASA astronaut for more than 20 years, helped ground the firm’s conviction in a novel, space-based business.
One reason the firm invested was that Satlyt doesn’t depend on highest-octane vision of space data centers, which faces uncertain economics and a launch bottleneck. “We don’t need data centers in space for Rama to be wildly successful, right?” Non Sibi partner Kent Lucas told TechCrunch. “It can just be driven by the number of satellites going up.”
Afullo’s hope is to be live on 20% of satellites by the end of the decade, when he expects virtually every spacecraft builder to be putting GPUs and similar advanced processors in their satellites.
“If you’re putting up a satellite without putting up a GPU on it, at the very least, you’re doing yourself a disservice, right?” he says.
Satlyt is among dozens of other startups vetted by TechCrunch and appearing at Disrupt as part of our broader Battlefield competition happening October 13-15 in downtown San Francisco. Learn more here.
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Key Takeaways
- Software-First Space Compute:Satlyt, founded by ex-Google and SpaceX engineer Rama Afullo, has secured an $8 million seed round to develop software for running AI models and complex computing tasks directly on satellites, aiming for an “Android for space” ecosystem.
- Proven Efficiency & Upcoming Milestones:Satlyt’s software has demonstrated significant operational savings, cutting data transmission sizes by over 60%, and is set to launch this week on a SpaceX rocket, testing multi-customer cloud computing protocols with NASA, Stellerian, and TakeMe2Space.
- Democratizing Orbital Processing:Unlike hardware-centric competitors, Satlyt’s platform allows satellite operators to transform their spacecraft into revenue-generating managed services, driving a future where onboard GPUs and advanced processors become standard across the rapidly expanding satellite industry.
Satlyt Ignites Orbital Computing Revolution with $8M Seed Round, Promises “Android for Space”
The vision of high-powered computing in orbit, once dismissed by tech giants, is now taking flight, spearheaded by a startup that believes the future of space is software-defined. Rama Afullo, a Kenyan American engineer whose journey spans Google’s cloud computing division and SpaceX’s Starlink, is at the helm of this revolution. Afullo’s early insights into the untapped potential of space-based computation were met with skepticism by his former employers. “When I was at SpaceX, I tried to pitch this internally. They said no. When I was at Google, I tried to pitch this internally. They said no,” he recounted to TechCrunch.
Undaunted, Afullo departed SpaceX in 2024 to co-found Satlyt, a dual-headquartered company in Sunnyvale, California, and Nairobi. Satlyt’s mission: to develop the foundational software that will enable multiple satellites to collaboratively execute complex computing jobs in space. This ambitious endeavor has just been bolstered by an $8 million seed round, an exclusive detail shared by Afullo with TechCrunch, signaling strong investor confidence in a burgeoning market.
The Genesis of a Vision: From Rejection to Revolution
Afullo’s journey illustrates a classic innovator’s dilemma. While at the forefront of cloud technology with Google and satellite communications with Starlink, he recognized a crucial gap: the ability to perform advanced processing directly in orbit. The traditional model dictates that raw data collected by satellites is beamed back to Earth for analysis, a process that is both costly and time-consuming. Afullo envisioned a decentralized network of intelligent satellites, capable of processing data and making decisions autonomously. Despite his conviction, the established players weren’t ready to embrace this leap.
Yet, as is often the case with disruptive ideas, the landscape has shifted dramatically. The very companies that initially dismissed Afullo’s concept are now making significant strides in orbital computing. SpaceX has since embraced orbital data centers, and Google is actively pursuing its own space data center initiative, Project Suncatcher, with its first prototype set to launch imminently. This fortuitous timing positions Satlyt perfectly, with its software scheduled to launch on a SpaceX rocket alongside Google’s Suncatcher prototype this Thursday.
Satlyt’s Differentiating Strategy: Software as the New Frontier
What sets Satlyt apart from the likes of SpaceX, Google, or other startups like Starcloud and Cowboy Space Company, is its laser focus on software. Satlyt is not building its own spacecraft or investing in orbital hardware. Instead, Afullo’s team is crafting the operating system for space, enabling the deployment and execution of sophisticated AI models on existing and future satellite constellations. He draws parallels to industry disruptors like VMWare and Snowflake, companies that provide powerful platforms allowing users to run complex software without the burden of managing underlying infrastructure.
“The folks like SpaceX who are doing orbital data centers—if they are the iPhone, we’ll build Android as a horizontally integrated, open ecosystem,” Afullo asserts. This analogy highlights Satlyt’s ambition to create a universal, interoperable software layer that can run across diverse satellite hardware from various manufacturers, fostering an open and collaborative ecosystem for space computing.
Why Onboard Processing is Critical for Space Operations
The need for onboard intelligence and processing power in space is becoming increasingly urgent. Current operational models for spacecraft heavily rely on ground-based flight controllers for problem-solving and data analysis. The process of transmitting data back to Earth, known as downlink, is prohibitively expensive, bandwidth-limited, and often slow. This bottleneck significantly constrains the potential applications and responsiveness of satellite systems.
By moving decision-making and data processing directly onto the spacecraft, Satlyt’s AI-driven software offers tangible benefits. This includes more efficient anomaly resolution, where AI can identify and address issues autonomously, reducing the need for constant human intervention. Crucially, it also allows for real-time processing of sensor readings in orbit, transforming raw data into actionable insights before it ever reaches the ground. This shift not only saves hundreds of thousands of dollars per satellite annually by minimizing downlink costs but also unlocks new levels of autonomy and capability for space missions.
Demonstrated Success and Forthcoming Missions
Satlyt has already proven the efficacy of its software through two successful demonstration missions. One notable achievement involved deploying Google DeepMind’s Gemma AI model onboard a Momentus-operated spacecraft earlier this year. This experiment yielded impressive results: the model successfully cut the size of a transmission related to onboard software errors by over 60%. Such efficiency gains, Afullo points out, translate directly into significant operational savings for satellite operators, potentially in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars per satellite each year.
The company’s next major milestone is this week’s launch, where Satlyt’s software will be integrated into a spacecraft built by TakeMe2Space, an innovative Indian startup specializing in satellite computing hardware. This mission is designed to serve a diverse trio of customers: NASA, which is funding the testing of protocols for cloud computing in the orbital environment; Stellerian, a burgeoning startup focused on space surveillance, which will utilize the platform for image processing workloads; and TakeMe2Space itself, demonstrating the satellite’s capability to host third-party software applications. This multi-customer approach underscores the broad applicability and versatility of Satlyt’s platform.
Building the True Orbital Cloud: A Future Vision
While high-powered GPUs are still a rarity in orbit, Satlyt is strategically focusing on workloads that offer immediate value. Looking ahead, the company’s next ambitious project is to demonstrate the creation of a shared computing system—a true cloud—spanning two distinct satellites. This endeavor, expected next year, is a critical step toward building a robust, third-party compute cloud in orbit, available to all spacecraft builders. Afullo articulates this transformative potential: “The way to think about it is that we turn your satellite into a revenue-generating managed service.” This vision moves beyond mere operational efficiency, enabling satellite owners to monetize their onboard processing capabilities.
Investor Confidence: A Pragmatic Bet on Space’s Future
Satlyt’s $8 million seed round was led by Houston-based Non Sibi Ventures. The firm’s conviction in Satlyt’s novel, space-based business model was significantly influenced by partner Bernard Harris, a former NASA astronaut with over two decades of experience. Non Sibi Ventures sees Satlyt’s potential extending beyond the grand, yet economically uncertain, vision of massive space data centers.
“We don’t need data centers in space for Rama to be wildly successful, right?” Non Sibi partner Kent Lucas explained to TechCrunch. He emphasizes that Satlyt’s growth is fundamentally driven by the sheer proliferation of satellites being launched. Afullo shares this optimistic outlook, projecting that Satlyt will be live on 20% of all satellites by the end of the decade. He anticipates a future where GPUs and similar advanced processors are standard components in virtually every new spacecraft. “If you’re putting up a satellite without putting up a GPU on it, at the very least, you’re doing yourself a disservice, right?” he challenges, highlighting the inevitability of this technological shift.
The Bottom Line
Satlyt is not just building software; it’s laying the groundwork for a fundamental paradigm shift in how we utilize and interact with assets in space. By democratizing access to powerful onboard computing capabilities, Satlyt empowers satellite operators to transition from mere data collectors to intelligent, autonomous, and potentially revenue-generating nodes in an orbital network. As the new space economy rapidly expands, fueled by thousands of new launches each year, Satlyt’s “Android for space” approach promises to be a critical enabler, transforming individual satellites into active participants in a decentralized, always-on computational frontier. This innovation is set to unlock unprecedented efficiencies, new applications, and a far more dynamic and responsive space infrastructure for the decades to come.
Satlyt is among dozens of other startups vetted by TechCrunch and appearing at Disrupt as part of our broader Battlefield competition happening October 13-15 in downtown San Francisco. Learn more here.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
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