Joel Palathinkal, Ph.D

✨ Seraphim Space Index Highlights: Taxonomy 🌌 🛰 Downlink: Historically, it has been one of the smaller investment segments. However, the current and previous quarters have seen multiple significant deals with $30m+ rounds (Armada, Second Front Systems, Skyloom Global and Skylo Technologies). As a result of these deals, the category has seen the most significant year-over-year growth in investment. Technologies related to communications and cybersecurity are key enablers for satellite communications, one of the largest markets addressed by space today. 🔭 Build: is seeing increasing investment. We attribute this to the growth in the space segment, creating a larger market opportunity for businesses providing the building blocks for the space economy in terms of satellites, payloads,  and software. This quarter saw Hadrian, which produces precision machined components, raise the second largest round at $117m. 🚀 Beyond Earth: No standout deals in Q1 24. The TTM period has seen significant activity in large rounds from Sierra Space, Axiom, True Anomaly and more. In H2 2023, this sector attracted the greatest investment as investors back the next generation of space infrastructure. The sector has shown significant growth compared to the previous TTM period. Read the full index here for more details - https://lnkd.in/e2vfgrk4

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AST SpaceMobile Stock Surges, Hits $5.6B Market Cap 🛰 Huge news from AST SpaceMobile as share price jumped another 18% yesterday, bringing its year-to-date market gains to a staggering 326%. The company’s market cap now sits at $5.6B, ranking it among the highest-valued space businesses in the world after SpaceX. AST SpaceMobile Stock Surges, Hits $5.6B Market Cap - Payload (payloadspace.com)

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We’re excited to announce that Pyka has raised $40M in Series B funding to accelerate the commercialization of their autonomous electric aircraft! Led by Obvious Ventures, with support from Piva Capital, Prelude Ventures, Metaplanet, and Y Combinator, this investment will expand Pyka’s impact in sectors like agriculture, cargo transport, and defense logistics. With commercial operations already underway across multiple continents and partners like Dole and Embraer, Pyka is transforming aviation while driving sustainability and decarbonization. ⚡✈️ More here from TechCrunch: https://lnkd.in/gGYfc824

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I am excited to share that Seraphim Space has reached first close on our new early stage fund to support SpaceTech’s brightest stars 💫 With the space sector now entering the next phase of its transformation, the Fund will focus on investing at Seed and Series A stages in the next generation of visionary entrepreneurs looking to transform science fiction into science fact. Through this innovative model of supporting SpaceTech’s brightest stars from their inception through to helping them achieve escape velocity, Seraphim Space has gone on to establish itself as the most prolific SpaceTech investor globally, having supported more than 120 SpaceTech companies in 27 countries worldwide that collectively have raised more than $3 billion in funding🚀 Key themes the Fund anticipates investing in include: 👾 The application of artificial intelligence to the treasure trove of satellite data to unlock near real time insights about the world to help combat challenges posed by climate change and global security 🛰 The merging of terrestrial and space-based communications networks to enable ‘always on’ ubiquitous connectivity for both people and machines 👨‍🚀 Utilising the unique microgravity environment of space to drive the next wave of scientific breakthrough in areas such as biotech and material science 🌍 The creation of space-based networks for on-orbit edge compute, internet/ communications and data relay to power the developing in-orbit economy The Fund has already made nine investments aligned with some of these key themes into these world changing companies: -Hubble Network – Internet of Things satellite constellation for connecting directly to billions of Bluetooth enabled devices -Delos Insurance Solutions – Space data powered wildfire home insurance provider -ATMOS Space Cargo cargo return service for life sciences -Auriga Space – Novel electro-magnetic launch system Thanks to the entire team for their hard work and dedication into finding and supporting the most exciting SpaceTech companies globally. https://lnkd.in/e5At5aR2 #VC #Fundingnews #SpaceTech #Investinspace

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How SpaceX Revolutionized Space Travel 🚀🌌 Content: SpaceX has redefined what’s possible in space travel and exploration. Here’s a look at their incredible journey: The Vision 🌠 Founded by Elon Musk in 2002, SpaceX aimed to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars. Many thought this vision was too ambitious, but SpaceX has proven the skeptics wrong. Key Milestones 📅 Falcon 1: In 2008, SpaceX's Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to reach orbit. Reusable Rockets: The successful landing of the Falcon 9 rocket in 2015 marked a breakthrough in reusable rocket technology, drastically lowering the cost of space missions. Crew Dragon: In 2020, SpaceX made history again by launching NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Crew Dragon, the first commercial spacecraft to do so. Impact 🌍 SpaceX’s innovations have not only reduced the cost of space travel but have also paved the way for new possibilities in space exploration, satellite deployment, and even space tourism. Lessons Learned 📚 Bold Vision: Dare to set ambitious goals. Innovation: Continuously improve and innovate. Resilience: Overcome setbacks and keep pushing forward. SpaceX’s journey from a daring startup to a leader in the space industry is truly inspiring. What other space industry successes have inspired you? Share your thoughts in the comments! 🌟 Detailed article on the Space industry coming soon!

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🛰 The Seraphim Space Index Q1 2024 is live 🛰 🌌 Since 2017, we have been producing the Seraphim Space quarterly VC investment Index , which allows us to share our unique access to knowledge and data about investing in space technology. This data is now available in an easy-to-use interactive format, allowing you to look back and track growth and trends from 2017 to today. View dashboard: https://lnkd.in/exvPuBkY Some highlights from the last quarter: 🤑 In Q1 2024, the space sector maintained its upward trajectory, with a notable $2.4 billion invested, marking a steady increase from Q4 2023’s $2.1 billion. This is part of a larger trend of $7.2 billion invested over the trailing twelve months to Q1 2024, compared to $6.6 billion in the preceding period. 🌕 Lunar Landers: Three attempts were made, with two successful landings! JAXA: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SLIM made Japan the fifth country to land on the moon. NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's CLPS-funded missions by Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines. Despite some tipping over post-landing, these missions mark significant progress. 🚀 SpaceX Starship Launch: March's launch showcased remarkable progress. With all 33 Raptor engines firing, "hot staging" completed, and the upper stage reaching suborbital orbit, SpaceX and NASA hailed it a success. Though the landing burn was unsuccessful, it is paving the way for future achievements. 📡 Direct-to-Cell: SpaceX initiated text messaging via Starlink satellites in January, but expansion faces challenges due to FCC spectrum denial. Meanwhile, AST received a strategic investment, and Skylo raised $37m, demonstrating growing interest in broadband coverage. 🛰️ Varda Earth Return: Varda Space Industries's successful capsule return in February, in collaboration with Rocket Lab, marked a significant milestone. Additionally, Varda's space crystallisation results of Ritanovir hold promise for drug research. 🇨🇳 China's Rising Influence: China's space endeavours continue to expand, with notable advancements in both public and private sectors. Landspace's successful rocket return and Shanghai Spacecom's massive funding highlight China's growing significance. 🛡️ Starshield: SpaceX's $1.8bn contract with the NRO for Earth Observation satellites signifies a shift in focus towards EO capabilities, leveraging the Starlink platform for enhanced satellite capabilities. 🛰️ SPAC Troubles: Astra and Momentus face financial challenges, with Astra opting for a private takeover. Terran Orbital Corporation received a take-private offer from a major shareholder, Lockheed Martin. Momentus warned shareholders it was running out of money but subsequently announced a registered direct offering (RDO) of $4m from an institutional investor.

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SpaceTech, Disrupting Every Industry on the Planet: ICEYE with Steve Young and Stephen Lathrope 🛰 In this episode, we are thrilled to host two esteemed guests from ICEYE. Joining the podcast is Steve Young, President of Satellite Missions, and Steve Lathrope, Senior Vice President of Solutions. ICEYE operates the world's largest constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of SAR data and its transformative real-world applications. 🌎 Our conversation explores how SAR technology is disrupting various industries and addressing some of humanity's most pressing challenges. We examine how ICEYE's technology is not only crucial for defence and security but also revolutionises industries like insurance with its capabilities in risk assessment, claims processing, underwriting, and fraud detection. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on how cutting-edge SAR technology paves the way for a more resilient and informed world 👉 https://lnkd.in/eabNC8WB

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