Rama Afullo, a former product manager at both Google and SpaceX, has launched a startup called Satlyt that aims to revolutionize computing in space by creating software that runs AI models on satellites. After his initial pitches were rejected by Google and SpaceX, Afullo founded Satlyt with the vision of enabling satellites from various companies to share large-scale computing tasks. The company recently closed an $8 million seed funding round led by Non Sibi Ventures, with investments driven by the growing number of satellites equipped with advanced processors like GPUs.

Satlyt’s approach contrasts with companies like SpaceX and Google, which build integrated and closed orbital data centers. Instead, Satlyt seeks to be an open, cross-platform software provider for satellite computing, likening itself to Android or VMware in the cloud industry. Its software is designed to improve operational efficiencies by running AI directly on satellites to reduce costly and slow data downlinks to Earth. One recent demonstration had Satlyt’s software onboard a spacecraft operated by Momentus, delivering over 60% reduction in transmission size and significant operational savings.

The company’s software is poised to launch soon on a SpaceX rocket alongside Google’s Project Suncatcher prototype, riding on a satellite built by the Indian hardware startup TakeMe2Space. Satlyt’s initial commercial customers include NASA, Stellerian — a space surveillance startup — and TakeMe2Space itself, with use cases ranging from cloud computing protocols to image processing in orbit. Looking ahead, Satlyt plans to demonstrate a distributed computing cloud that spans multiple satellites, potentially establishing a scalable third-party cloud service for space hardware providers.

Non Sibi Ventures and its partner Bernard Harris, a veteran NASA astronaut, backed Satlyt due to its practical vision that does not rely solely on the emergence of large-scale space data centers. Rather, the company targets the growing satellite deployment trend, aiming for its software to be installed on 20% of new spacecraft by the end of the decade. Afullo emphasizes the importance of leveraging onboard GPUs to maximize satellite functionality and generate revenue, positioning Satlyt as an essential platform for the next wave of advanced orbital systems.