Quindar plots AI-driven satellite management, raises $6m

Quindar, the maker of a platform to monitor and automate satellite operations, has closed an oversubscribed $6 million seed extension round.

The funding was led by Fuse with continuing investment from Y-Combinator and Funders Club.

“This infusion of funding will propel our mission to manage satellites as efficiently as servers by utilizing AI-driven insights and operations to revolutionize the industry’s approach to spacecraft management,” said the company in an announcement.

For those who prefer traditional methods – compared to AI-driven autopilot systems for flying satellites – manual override will always remain available, it added.

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Quindar says it has identified a key market demand – the ability to operate multiple satellite busses and payloads from a single platform.

“Customers are facing operational challenges as they build their next-generation fleets and ground segments. Add the bottlenecks in satellite manufacturing and upgraded payload designs and it is forcing customers to purchase satellites from various manufacturers – all of which operate differently.”

To this end, it is working with KSAT and its new satellite operations business unit. KSAT provides a global ground network of antennas (right) to support missions in LEO, MEO, GEO and HEO, as well as Lunar missions, and it is using Quindar Mission Management.

The company – which is based in Denver, Colorado – held its initial funding round in January 2023. Since then it has “validated most of our operations software with an existing in-space customer, who is actively expanding their fleet”.