IIT Madras startup Inbound Aerospace raises $1 million for spacecraft
Inbound Aerospace, a young startup from IIT Madras, just scored over $1 million in pre-seed funding led by Speciale Invest and Piper Serica.
The money will help them fast-track their autonomous, reusable spacecraft—designed to carry experiments into orbit and safely bring them back.
Founders, mission, and more
Founded in 2025 by Aravind I B, Vishal Reddy, and Captain (IN) Abhijit Bhutey (Retd), Inbound wants to make microgravity research more affordable with repeat-use re-entry vehicles.
Their first autonomous launch is set for late 2027 or early 2028, and they're hoping each mission could rake in up to $10 million.
Competing with global players
Inbound is among just a handful of companies worldwide working on commercial autonomous re-entry tech.
While high launch costs and shifting regulations are hurdles, they plan to team up with Indian policymakers to smooth the way forward—showing real confidence in India's growing space-tech scene.
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