Google Leads $36M Round in Satellite Imaging Startup Pixxel 

Space-tech startup Pixxel, which is building a constellation of hyperspectral imaging satellites for monitoring the earth, raised $36 million in a Series B funding round and found a new investor in Google. The size of the investment was not disclosed. 

Other participants in the round included existing investors Radical Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Blume Ventures, growX, Sparta and Athera Venture Partners 

With the latest round, the LA and Bengaluru, India-based Pixxel has raised $71 million, including a $25 million Series A in March 2022, and a $7.3 million seed round in 2021. Accenture also made a strategic investment in August 2022, the size of which wasn’t disclosed. 

“With this round of funding, we are even closer now to realizing our mission of building a health monitor for the planet, and empowering people around the world to make informed decisions about our collective well-being,” said Awais Ahmed, co-founder and CEO of Pixxel. 

The new funds will also help further the development of ‘Aurora’, Pixxel’s AI-powered analytics platform to make hyperspectral analysis accessible for everyone. The funds will also bolster Pixxel’s plans to launch six satellites in 2024 and another 18 by 2025. 

Google’s first investment in an Indian startup came in June 2014 through its investment arm Google Capital, when it invested in homegrown IT services startup Freshworks (then Freshdesk), four years prior to the company shifting its headquarters to the US. 

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