GalaxEye, the Indian space technology startup, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian startup to receive a US patent for satellite imaging technology. According to reports from Business Standard, the US patent covers GalaxEye's core invention for the architecture and system used to align and synchronise optical and microwave sensors for simultaneous, spatially and temporally matched data acquisition. The same technology has already been granted a patent in India, strengthening the company's intellectual property position as it prepares for global expansion.
As reported by Business Standard, GalaxEye is building next-generation Earth Observation capabilities through its proprietary OptoSAR imaging technology, which combines Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical imaging to deliver reliable, all-weather, day-and-night intelligence. The company's patented invention addresses a fundamental challenge in Earth observation where optical and SAR sensors traditionally operate independently or through post-processing, creating temporal gaps and spatial misalignment. The technology enables weather agnostic imaging capabilities across defence, agriculture, insurance, disaster response and other sectors. According to Inc42, GalaxEye founder and CEO Suyash Singh stated that the patented technology enables the startup to serve global markets and provide weather agnostic imaging capabilities across sectors.
As reported by Business Standard, the technology is closely tied to Mission Drishti, through which GalaxEye took its OptoSAR capability to space. On 3 May 2026, GalaxEye launched Mission Drishti, the world's first OptoSAR imaging satellite, combining multispectral imaging and Synthetic Aperture Radar on a single platform. The approximately 190 kg spacecraft was also India's largest privately built Earth observation satellite at the time of launch, with the Government of India acknowledging it as the world's first OptoSAR satellite. However, according to Inc42, GalaxEye lost communication with Drishti in July after an anomaly linked to a geomagnetic solar storm. The startup attributed the setback's root cause to radiation effects from the event that likely impacted a critical onboard system. During its active operating phase over a few weeks, Mission Drishti successfully validated critical technologies, operational processes, and infrastructure required to design, build, launch, and operate advanced space systems.
According to Business Standard, the patent strengthens GalaxEye's position as it scales towards a planned 30-satellite constellation over the next five years, backed by a growing commercial pipeline across domestic and international customers. The network is expected to support defence, government and commercial applications across national security, agriculture, infrastructure, insurance, maritime intelligence and disaster management. Somanath S Panicker, former chairman of Isro, described the patent as a powerful example of innovation emerging from India's private space ecosystem with strong commercial potential. The startup is now targeting the launch of two new OptoSAR satellites within the next two years while expanding its in-house capabilities to further strengthen quality, reliability, and execution.
Founded in 2021 by Suyash Singh, Denil Chawda, Kishan Thakkar, Pranit Mehta, and Rakshit Bhatt, GalaxEye is building multi-sensor earth observation satellites. The IIT Madras-incubated startup has raised ₹26.9 million in funding to date from investors like Speciale Invest, Mela Ventures, Rainmatter, and Anicut Capital. Most recently, it raised a ₹44 crore tranche in March as part of its ongoing Series A round, according to Inc42. The startup also acquired spacecraft engineering company StarOps last month to deepen its in-house satellite engineering capabilities. According to Inc42 data, the funding in the spacetech sector surged 94% to $157 million in 2025 from $81 million in 2024, with the broader market set to cross $77 billion by 2030.
