Founded in 2024 by Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri and Hrishit Tambi, Aule is focusing on non-cooperative docking, which allows its jetpacks to attach to legacy satellites that were not designed for servicing.Aule Space, a startup building satellites that can approach and attach to other satellites in orbit, has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding led by pi Ventures.
The round also saw participation from several angel investors including Eash Sundaram and Arvind Lakshmikumar.
Founded in 2024 by Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri and Hrishit Tambi, Aule is focusing on non-cooperative docking, which allows its jetpacks to attach to legacy satellites that were not designed for servicing.
“Imagine buying an expensive car and abandoning it when the fuel runs out. This is how satellites worth over $100 billion are operated today, we want to change that,” said co-founder and CEO Panchal.
The new funds will help Aule expand its engineering team, build ground infrastructure for docking tests, and aid the development of its first demonstration satellites, set to launch next year.
These demonstration satellites will validate rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) – the capability for spacecraft to safely approach, manoeuvre near, and physically attach to other objects in orbit.
“Aule Space is reimagining how satellites operate in orbit through its foundational RPOD technology, enabling safer, more cost-efficient, and sustainable access to space. What stood out to us was the rare combination of deep technical excellence and a clearly thought-through commercial roadmap,” said Manish Singhal, founding partner at pi Ventures.
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