# Satlyt raises $8M to run AI on satellites with Google’s Gemma model

Digest AI · Hardware & Compute · published 2026-10-01T12:00:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/satlyt-raises-8m-to-run-ai-on-satellites-with-googles-gemma-model

## Summary

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 data onboard, cutting transmission sizes by over 60% in a test with Momentus earlier this year, according to Afullo’s claims.

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.

## 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

## Why it matters

Satlyt’s software could slash costs for satellite operators by processing AI tasks in orbit, reducing reliance on Earth-based downlink. If successful, it may accelerate adoption of onboard AI across the growing satellite fleet, even without large-scale orbital data centers.

## Sources

1. [Satlyt, founded by a former Google and SpaceX product manager, raises $8M to run AI on satellites](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/01/satlyt-founded-by-a-former-google-and-spacex-product-manager-raises-8m-to-run-ai-on-satellites) (TechCrunch AI, 2026-10-01)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Satlyt raises $8M to run AI on satellites with Google’s Gemma model", 1 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/satlyt-raises-8m-to-run-ai-on-satellites-with-googles-gemma-model

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