Bellatrix Aerospace Raises $20 Mn for Propulsion
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Bellatrix Aerospace secured $20 Mn (₹189.7 Cr) in a Pre-Series B round led by Cactus Partners, with new investors Hero Investment Office, 35 North Ventures, Indusbridge Ventures, and Monarch Holdings joining, while existing backers Inflexor Ventures, Pavestone VC, GrowX, Startup Xseed, and Survam Partners doubled down.
- Founder and CEO Rohan Ganapathy said the capital will fund expanded manufacturing facilities, high-throughput production lines, and active customer programs after the company successfully flight-qualified its core propulsion technologies.
- Bellatrix's propulsion portfolio includes the Rudra green monopropellant thrusters, Arka Hall-effect electric thrusters, the water-based Jal propulsion system, and Rudra Nano for small satellites, serving both commercial operators and government agencies including ISRO and DRDO.
- The Bengaluru-based startup, founded in 2015 by Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, has now raised approximately $31 Mn in total funding and competes in a crowded field alongside SatSure, Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, and Dhruva Space.
- The Indian spacetech sector saw funding surge 94% in 2025 to $157 Mn, with dedicated vehicles like 360 ONE Asset's ₹1,000 Cr defence/space strategy fund and SIDBI's Antariksh Venture Capital Fund (₹1,005 Cr first close) channeling fresh capital into the segment.
Why it matters: Bellatrix's raise lands within a spacetech funding surge of 94% growth to $157 Mn in 2025, backed by newly launched dedicated funds. The capital lets the company move from flight-qualified prototypes to repeatable production, directly positioning it to serve ISRO, DRDO, and commercial satellite operators at scale.
