AWS India launches its inaugural space accelerator to support 24 startups

New Delhi: A launch vehicle and sustainable satellite startup from Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. An advanced geospatial analysis startup from Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A satellite technology-based precision farming startup from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. These are a few of the mix of 24 startups shortlisted to participate in AWS Space Accelerator: India, a technical, business, and mentorship opportunity designed to foster startups focused on space technology.

The 14-week program—AWS’s first-ever space accelerator program in India—is aimed at providing dedicated technical expertise, specialised AWS training, and mentoring from space domain and technical experts. It is a direct result of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement AWS signed with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in 2023, to jointly support the growth and development of space startups in India.

“This is the fourth consecutive year that AWS has run a Space Accelerator program, but the first one we’ve tied to one specific country”, Clint Crosier, Director of the Aerospace and Satellite business at AWS

Crosier adds, “We specifically chose to hold this first country-focused space accelerator in India, because we see extraordinary growth opportunities in the India space sector. There are a record number of new Indian space startups forming, there is strong support from the Government of India as evidenced by our MoU with ISRO and IN-SPACe, and India has some of the best educated and proficient talent in the world in the technical areas that encompass space. We are pleased to see many talented space startups participate in this exciting program.”

The shortlisted startups also stand to receive up to US $100,000 cumulatively in AWS credits and support to build and scale their solutions. The accelerator is supported by T-Hub, an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler, and Minfy, an AWS Premier Partner.

Applications for the program were evaluated based on the uniqueness and innovation of the solutions of the startups, product-market fit, innovation and sustainability, the creative application of AWS technology, and the team’s ability to deliver on their vision.

The 2024 cohort for AWS Space Accelerator: India program

The startups selected for the AWS Space Accelerator: India 2024 program operate in a range of space segments such as spacecraft propulsion, orbital and launch vehicles, satellite imagery, geospatial applications, weather analysis, space tourism, among others.

The 24 startups selected for the accelerator will get the opportunity to explore how best to leverage space data. They will also learn to build secure and scalable solutions using AWS technologies in Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, data analytics, and more. That’s not all. The accelerator will also provide startups with the know-how on go-to-market strategies, fundraising, and business fundamentals, enabling them with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in the competitive space tech landscape.

The shortlisted startups (listed in alphabetical order) are Advick Agventure (Ahmedabad, Gujarat), AERO2ASTRO (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Aeroin SpaceTech Pvt. Ltd. (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Agnihotri Aerospace (Mangaluru, Karnataka), AkashaLabdhi Pvt. Ltd. (Roorkee, Uttarakhand), Brahmaandco Spacetech (Mumbai, Maharashtra), Blurgs AI (Bengaluru, Karnataka), CoralComp Pvt. Ltd. (Hyderabad, Telangana), Cosmicport (Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu), Cosmo Crawler (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Expanse Cosmos (Delhi), GISKernel Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Pune, Maharashtra), Inbound Aerospace (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Insight360.ai (Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands) KosmosOne (Suryatola, Maharashtra) Omspace Rocket and Exploration (Gandhinagar, Gujarat), Onnes Cryogenics Pvt. Ltd. (Hyderabad, Telangana), Pramatra Space (Bengaluru, Karnataka), Satlabs Space Systems (Bengaluru, Karnataka), Sisir Radar (Kolkata, West Bengal), Space Aura (Mumbai, Maharashtra), SpanTrik (Hyderabad, Telangana), Taramandal (Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh), and Thrustworks Dynetics (Pune, Maharashtra).

Demo Day

The AWS Space Accelerator: India program will culminate with an event to be held in July/August 2024, where the 24 startups will present their innovative solutions to leaders from AWS, T-Hub, Minfy, and the space sector. This event will provide a platform for the startups to showcase their innovations and gain visibility among key stakeholders and potential investors.