Satlyt, a space technology startup founded by former Google and SpaceX employee Rama Afullo, has raised $8 million in seed funding to develop software that allows satellites to run artificial intelligence models and share computing workloads in orbit. The company, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and Nairobi, Kenya, aims to reduce reliance on ground-based computing by processing data directly aboard spacecraft.
The funding round was led by Houston-based Non Sibi Ventures, with the investment detailed in Satlyt’s official announcement. Unlike companies developing dedicated orbital data centers, Satlyt focuses on software that can operate across satellites manufactured by different providers.
Satlyt Develops AI Software for Satellite Computing
Satlyt’s platform allows satellites to perform AI processing and make operational decisions without continuously transmitting information to Earth. Sending data to ground stations, known as downlink, can be expensive and time-consuming, particularly when spacecraft generate large amounts of sensor information.
Afullo previously worked in Google’s cloud computing division and SpaceX’s Starlink network, where he proposed similar orbital computing concepts before founding Satlyt. He compares the company’s approach to software platforms such as VMware and Snowflake, which allow users to run applications without managing the underlying hardware.
Satlyt has already tested its software during two demonstration missions. Earlier in 2026, the company deployed Google DeepMind’s Gemma AI model aboard a spacecraft operated by Momentus, reducing the size of transmitted software error reports by more than 60%.
Afullo said reducing unnecessary transmissions could save satellite operators hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. The company’s software is designed to identify problems and process information aboard spacecraft rather than relying entirely on ground controllers.
SpaceX Mission and Future Orbital Computing Plans
Satlyt’s next mission was scheduled for October 1 aboard a SpaceX rocket carrying a satellite built by Indian startup TakeMe2Space. The mission involves NASA, which is testing space-based cloud computing protocols, and Stellerian, which is evaluating image processing for tracking objects in orbit.
TakeMe2Space also plans to demonstrate its satellite’s ability to host software from external companies. The mission was scheduled alongside Google’s first Project Suncatcher orbital computing prototype.
Satlyt plans to test a shared computing network between two separate satellites in 2027. The proposed system would allow spacecraft to combine processing resources, although relatively few satellites currently carry high-powered graphics processors.
Funding and Expansion Targets
Non Sibi Ventures partner Bernard Harris, a former NASA astronaut, contributed his aerospace experience to the firm’s investment assessment. Fellow partner Kent Lucas said Satlyt’s business could grow through increasing satellite deployments without requiring the construction of dedicated orbital data centers.
Afullo aims to have Satlyt software operating on 20% of satellites by the end of the decade. He expects more spacecraft manufacturers to incorporate GPUs and other advanced processors, allowing satellites to perform increasingly complex computing tasks.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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