Arctus Aerospace has secured $2.6 million in pre-seed funding from Version One Ventures, South Park Commons, gradCapital, and several angel investors, including Balaji Srinivasan and Srinivas Narayan (OpenAI).
Earlier this year, the company was also chosen for the South Park Commons Founder Fellowship.
Shreepoorna S Rao, Founder and CEO, Arctus Aerospace, said, “Our mission is to eliminate all ground infrastructure required to monitor, inspect, or understand the planet on centimetre level resolution. By flying large unmanned aircraft at high altitudes for long durations, we are building the foundation for true zero-infrastructure Earth intelligence. When executed, will kill satellite-based commercial Earth observation.”
Boris Wertz, Founding Partner, Version One Ventures, said, “Arctus is developing high-altitude aviation capability that can redefine how high-value sensing and Earth observation are delivered. Their engineering depth and vision for zero-infrastructure intelligence make it a new market creation product which can unlock a lot of value for commercial players.”
Aditya Agarwal, General Partner, South Park Commons, said, “Building a company like Arctus takes a rare combination of audacity, fearlessness, creativity and the will to succeed. These are the qualities that we saw in Shree from the early days at SPC and why we are so excited to be his partner in this adventure. We have a real chance here to make a dent in the universe.”
Founded in 2023 by Shreepoorna S Rao, Arctus Aerospace builds high-altitude autonomous aircraft designed for earth observation. These large unmanned systems can fly at 45,000 feet for up to 24 hours, carry a 250 kg payload, and deliver real-time geospatial data.
The company is developing a full-stack manufacturing and engineering setup to support its aircraft platforms. Their systems are built to accommodate a wide range of sensors, including SAR, hyperspectral, optical, EO, and IR.
Arctus drastically cuts imaging costs: what typically costs $10,000 to capture 500 sq km can now be done for roughly $500. This capability makes the platform highly valuable for sectors such as energy, infrastructure, climate monitoring, and security.
Arctus currently operates aircraft that fly above 10,000 feet, delivering centimetre-level accuracy and real-time data. All manufacturing, testing, and operational activities take place at the company’s 25,000 sq. ft. facility in Bangalore.
Read More- Onlayer raises USD $8.2 million Series A round led by Oleka Capital
