Space-tech startup Inbound Aerospace eyes $10 mn seed funding round

Chennai-based Inbound Aerospace is in talks with investors to raise around $10 million to develop its reusable space re-entry vehicle and autonomous landing system ahead of a 2028 mission

Space-tech startup Inbound Aerospace is looking to raise around $10 million (approximately ₹90 crore) in a seed-funding round as it steps up the development of its reusable space re-entry vehicle, according to sources familiar with the development. 

The company is in discussions with multiple investors, including existing investors Speciale Invest and Piper Serica, for the proposed round. Given the size of the proposed investment, the funding is expected to be raised through a consortium of investors. 

“Inbound is looking at the $10 million mark and is getting a good response,” said a person aware of the developments, adding that the final fundraising target and structure were still being discussed. 

The funds will primarily be used to advance the development of its reusable re-entry vehicle, including testing and demonstrating its autonomous landing system prior to the actual mission in 2028. The company is also working on developing thermal protection technology and improving flight-control systems to ensure the vehicle can withstand re-entry and land within a designated 100-metre radius. 

The proposed funding round is linked to the company's efforts to demonstrate its autonomous parachute-based landing system, which is a key component of its reusable re-entry vehicle. For context, the Chennai-based startup recently completed a one-kilometre drop test using a drone and is preparing for an eight-kilometre drop test in the coming weeks. 

The company aims to demonstrate that its vehicle can land within a radius of less than 100 metres of a designated location after re-entry. The capability is crucial for bringing back payloads and experiments from space. 

Inbound is developing a reusable vehicle that can carry payloads into space and bring them back to the Earth. It is targeting its first actual mission in 2028, with laboratory simulations currently indicating the possibility of reusing the vehicle eight to 10 times. 

The company founded by Aravind I B, Abhijeet Bhutey and Vishal Reddy, had raised ₹9 crore in a pre-seed round last year. It has also received initial support from IIT-Madras, including funding of ₹27 lakh, and was incubated at the IIT Madras Research Park.

Inbound is also developing its autonomous parachute technology as a standalone product for the armed forces and disaster-relief agencies. The company has been named a provisional winner under the government’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme and has held discussions with the Air Force and the National Disaster Management Authority. 

The startup sees applications for its re-entry platform across pharmaceuticals, materials science and semiconductor research, where experiments conducted in microgravity could have commercial applications. It is also in discussions with overseas organisations and payload developers, including entities in Singapore, Japan and the United Kingdom.