GoKawiilSatlyt raises $8M to build AI operating software for satellites
Satlyt, a startup co-founded by former Google and SpaceX engineer Rama Afullo, has raised an $8 million seed round to develop software that lets multiple satellites share AI computing workloads in orbit. Unlike rivals such as SpaceX, Google and Starcloud, Satlyt does not build its own spacecraft; instead it aims to supply software that runs across other companies' satellites. The company's software is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX rocket alongside Google's first Project Suncatcher prototype.
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Afullo frames Satlyt as an 'Android' to orbital-data-center builders' 'iPhone,' suggesting the company is betting on becoming a neutral software layer as more firms launch space computing hardware. Because downlinking data from orbit is costly and slow, software that lets satellites make AI-driven decisions onboard could reduce reliance on ground control, though this remains an early-stage pitch rather than a proven capability. The funding and simultaneous Google launch indicate growing investor and industry interest in orbital computing infrastructure.
- Satlyt raised an $8 million seed round to build AI software for satellites.
- The company positions itself as a cross-platform software layer rather than a spacecraft builder.
- Its software launches this week on a SpaceX rocket alongside Google's Project Suncatcher prototype.
Source: techcrunch.com — Tim Fernholz, 2026-10-01
Published there as: “Satlyt, founded by a former Google and SpaceX product manager, raises $8M to run AI on satellites”
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