SatLeo Labs Raises USD 3.3 Mn Round Led by Merak Ventures The capital will be deployed towards the development of SatLeo's proprietary dual-band thermal imaging payload, regulatory clearances, team expansion, and infrastructure enhancement, enabling the company to scale its space-based intelligence offerings.
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Ahmedabad-based spacetech startup SatLeo Labs has secured USD 3.3 million in its pre-seed funding round, led by Merak Ventures, with participation from Huddle Ventures, GVFL, Java Capital, IIMA Ventures, PointOne Capital, and angel investors Manish Gandhi and Dheer Baldua.
The capital will be deployed towards the development of SatLeo's proprietary dual-band thermal imaging payload, regulatory clearances, team expansion, and infrastructure enhancement, enabling the company to scale its space-based intelligence offerings.
"Our investment in SatLeo Labs is rooted in a clear thesis—thermal imagery from space is still vastly underutilised, and its commercial applications are only set to grow," said Sheetal Bahl, Partner at Merak Ventures. "We're backing them for a genuine tech breakthrough that makes thermal data more useful, accessible and affordable."
Founded in 2023 by Urmil Bakhai, Ranendu Ghosh and Shravan Bhati, SatLeo Labs is developing high-resolution thermal and visible imaging systems from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to deliver real-time, actionable insights across climate-sensitive sectors. Their dual-band, fused multispectral imaging platform is designed to support applications in agriculture, energy, urban planning, and strategic defence surveillance.
"This funding underscores the growing confidence in our vision to position India as a global leader in space-based intelligence," said Shravan Bhati, Co-founder and CEO of SatLeo Labs. "Each 1°C rise in temperature can reduce global GDP by up to 10%. Our thermal data helps detect risks before they turn into billion-dollar losses—from crop failures to wildfires."
SatLeo's technology aims to mitigate the growing risks of climate change and assist in meeting sustainable development goals, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preventing natural disasters, and enhancing environmental resilience.
"We are pioneering a dual-band, high-resolution thermal payload designed for fused multispectral imaging—empowering sustainable solutions across agriculture, environmental conservation, climate-resilient urban planning, and strategic defence," added Dr Ranendu Ghosh, Co-founder and CTO.
With Earth Observation data expected to contribute USD 3.8 trillion to global GDP by 2030, SatLeo Labs is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation. "Thermal EO can help cut 2 Gigaton of GHG emissions annually and drive nature-positive action," said Urmil Bakhai, Co-founder and CSO.
