Satlyt raises $8M to run AI on satellites with Google’s Gemma model
Satlyt, founded by former Google and SpaceX engineer Rama Afullo, has secured an $8 million seed round to develop software that enables AI workloads on satellites. The company’s approach avoids building its own spacecraft, instead offering a platform for running AI models—like Google DeepMind’s Gemma—directly in orbit. This reduces reliance on slow, costly ground-based downlink by processing…
Key points
- Satlyt raised $8M seed round led by Non Sibi Ventures, a firm backed by former NASA astronaut Bernard Harris
- Google DeepMind’s Gemma model onboard a Momentus satellite reduced error transmission size by over 60%
- This week’s launch tests AI workloads for NASA, Stellerian, and TakeMe2Space on a SpaceX rocket
Satlyt’s software launches this week on a SpaceX rocket alongside Google’s Project Suncatcher prototype. The mission includes NASA, Stellerian (a space surveillance startup), and TakeMe2Space, testing cloud-like compute sharing across satellites. Afullo aims to expand to 20% of satellites by the end of the decade, positioning Satlyt as a third-party provider for onboard AI. The company’s strategy targets operational efficiencies, not just data centers, leveraging the growing number of satellites equipped with GPUs.
Satlyt, founded by a former Google and SpaceX product manager, raises $8M to run AI on satellites
TechCrunch AI · 1 October 2026
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