Startups such as Agnikul Cosmos, Digantara, and GalaxEye were recognised for their contributions in space launches, space situational awareness, and earth observation technologies, respectively.
These space tech startups are currently preparing for major missions in the coming year, and recognition from WEF is expected to draw greater global investor interest in India’s growing space economy. The selected startups will now work closely with WEF’s platforms to contribute to global discussions on technology, sustainability, and inclusive growth.
Agnikul, GalaxEye, and The ePlane Company were incubated at IIT-Madras, which has built a robust deeptech ecosystem. The ePlane Company is developing electric flying taxis aimed at easing urban congestion.
“We find this acknowledgement to be a great motivator for us to accelerate our developments in space tech by building new innovations in earth observation,” Suyash Singh, founder of GalaxEye, told ET.
He added that with the startup announcing its second satellite last week amid growing demand for geospatial data, the recognition reaffirms their belief in the global relevance of their work.
Other Indian companies recognised in the cohort include Exponent Energy, known for its rapid-charging battery systems for electric vehicles (EVs), CynLr for its work in robotics and machine vision, Freight Tiger for building a software-enabled freight network, SolarSquare for residential solar energy systems, Dezy for AI-driven dental diagnostics, and Equal for identity verification and consent-driven data sharing.
Venture capital firm Speciale Invest, which backed four of the 10 Indian startups selected as Technology Pioneers – Agnikul, ePlane, CynLr, and GalaxEye, said the global recognition affirms not only their audacious vision across space launch, flying taxis, robotic vision, and multi-sensor satellite intelligence, but also marks a pivotal moment for India’s rise as a deeptech leader.
“This milestone is a testament to their boldness, ingenuity, and the world-class innovation emerging from India,” said Vishesh Rajaram, managing partner at Speciale Invest.
The Technology Pioneers community features 100 early-stage companies from 28 countries driving innovation across industries and borders. “The geography of innovation is also evolving. While the United States remains the top contributor to the community, Europe’s share has surged to 28% – up from 20% last year – reflecting the rise of strong tech ecosystems across the region. China and India are also emerging as major tech innovation hubs,” WEF said in a statement.
