Ahmedabad-based SatLeo Labs Raises $3.3M to Track Heat Signals From Space and Turn Them Into Early Warnings

Farms drying before droughts. Wildfires flickering to life before they spread. Transformers overheating quietly before they fail. These are not problems visible to the naked eye, but they leave thermal fingerprints.

Ahmedabad-based SatLeo Labs wants to detect those signals early, from orbit. The startup has raised $3.3 million in pre-seed funding to build a constellation of thermal-first satellites that turn rising heat into real-time early warnings.

The round was led by Merak Ventures, with participation from Huddle Ventures, GVFL, Java Capital, IIMA Ventures, and PointOne Capital.

SatLeo Labs was co-founded by Shravan Bhati (CEO), Dr. Ranendu Ghosh (CTO and former ISRO scientist), and Urmil Bakhai (CSO).

Why Thermal, Why Now

Most Earth Observation startups focus on optical or hyperspectral data. SatLeo is betting on thermal infrared, particularly mid-wave and long-wave bands that detect heat shifts invisible to traditional sensors.

According to SatLeo’s official site, their satellites will feature onboard edge computing. This allows them to process thermal data directly in orbit and deliver faster, more actionable insights on the ground. The goal is not just to collect images, but to enable faster decisions in critical sectors.

Where SatLeo Stands Today

SatLeo Labs is currently in the engineering and payload validation phase, focusing on developing its first thermal imaging satellite platform.

The company specializes in capturing mid- and long-wave infrared data from low Earth orbit to provide real-time thermal intelligence.

This data is intended to serve sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, and disaster management. The team is also expanding its technical staff and preparing for early pilot deployments. Their approach includes processing thermal data directly on-orbit and delivering insights through a cloud-based analytics platform.

A Platform Approach to Risk

Huddle Ventures describes SatLeo as a full-stack company. Its vision includes developing a cloud analytics layer that transforms raw thermal data into sector-specific tools for agriculture, energy, logistics, and infrastructure monitoring.

While no customers have been publicly named, the product direction suggests applications for both enterprise and government use.

What’s Next

The company is currently focused on payload validation, regulatory preparation, and team expansion. Its roadmap includes deploying its first satellite and onboarding early pilot partners.

As global temperatures rise and physical risks multiply, SatLeo Labs is working to make heat a usable signal. The team is building satellites designed not just to see the planet, but to understand when and where it might break.

Gujarat’s Space Policy Tailwind

SatLeo’s growth is happening in parallel with India’s spacetech surge. More than 190 space startups have launched since 2020, following policy reforms and increased collaboration with ISRO.

In April 2025, the Government of Gujarat introduced its SpaceTech Policy 2025–2030. The policy outlines capital support, grants, and infrastructure for satellite manufacturing and downstream analytics.

Reactions on social media

Sheetal Bahl, Partner, Merak Ventures

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Vinod Shankar, Founding Partner, Java Capital

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Sanil Sachar, Partner, Huddle Ventures

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SatLeo Labs is part of a growing spacetech ecosystem in Ahmedabad, which includes Peersight, co-founded by Gaurav Seth and Vinit Bansal, building a constellation of SAR and AIS satellites for maritime surveillance.

Another notable player is Optimized Electrotech, which designs electro-optic surveillance systems for defense and aerospace use cases. Together, these companies reflect the city’s growing presence in India’s deeptech and satellite innovation landscape.