In 2019, Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal started Pixxel from their dorm room at BITS Pilani. They named it after the smallest unit of an image, reflecting their goal of giving Earth a digital identity through hyperspectral data. Today Pixxel runs a six-satellite hyperspectral constellation, builds satellites for others, and has raised $195 million, including a $100 million Series C co-led by Temasek and Seraphim, the largest round in Indian space-tech history.


In this conversation, the cofounders trace that journey from demo satellites to the Firefly constellation launched in 2025. They describe how they got customers and partners to trust them before they had a product in orbit. They talk about the vendor problems that pushed back their first launch from February 2021, and why they scrapped their original constellation design for a more capable one. They also explain where their edge lies in global hyperspectral imaging and in Indian satellite manufacturing, how the creation of IN-SPACe and new government support changed the game for private space companies in India, and what it will take to produce more than 50 satellites a quarter by late 2028 or early 2029.