Aule Space Raises $2 Million to Build Low-Cost Satellite-Servicing Jetpacks

Overview

• pi Ventures led the $2 million pre-seed, joined by angels including Tonbo Imaging’s Arvind Lakshmikumar and former Intelsat board member Eash Sundaram.
• Aule is conducting rendezvous and docking ground tests with access to ISRO facilities used for the SPADEX mission, and the 11-person team plans to grow to about 20 this quarter.
• The company’s demo is slated for next year to validate docking, using two roughly 30-kilogram satellites or an orbital transfer vehicle as the client, with further funding needed to build and launch.
• Aule’s design aims to cut costs by basing engineering in India and relying on cameras, computer vision, and AI rather than radar or lidar for approach and docking.
• The initial market focus is GEO life extension, with commercial interest but no firm contracts, reported interest from ISRO and the Indian military, and a company claim of up to six additional years of service.