Spacetech Startup Pixxel Raises $36 Million In Funding From Google, Others

Bengaluru-based space startup Pixxel on Thursday said it has raised $36 million in funding led by new investor Google. Other participants in the round included existing investors Radical Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Blume Ventures, growX, Sparta, and Athera Venture Partners.The fresh funds will advance Pixxel’s mission to build a hyperspectral satellite constellation that will deliver climate insights on a planetary scale, it said in a blog post. The funding will also help further the development of Aurora, Pixxel’s artificial intelligence-powered analytics platform for hyperspectral analysis, it added.All told, Pixxel has raised $71 million in venture funding. Data from Pixxel’s satellites will be critical in helping global organisations closely monitor emissions, water pollution, gas leaks, oil spills, soil composition, forest biodiversity and crop health in unprecedented detail and at faster speeds.The latest cash infusion is directed towards Pixxel meeting its target to launch six satellites in 2024 and 18 other satellites by 2025, it said