Satlyt Aims to Democratize Satellite Computing with AI-Powered Software

Rama Afullo, a former Google and SpaceX product manager, has co-founded Satlyt, which aims to run AI on satellites. The company raised $8 million in seed funding led by Non Sibi Ventures, with partner Bernard Harris, a NASA astronaut for over 20 years, on board.

Afullo's experience at SpaceX, where he was part of the Starlink communications network, and Google's cloud computing business, convinced him that there was untapped potential for computers in space. He pitched his idea internally at both companies but was met with rejection.

Satlyt's software is set to launch on a SpaceX rocket alongside the first prototype for Google's space data center effort, Project Suncatcher. The company aims to offer a horizontally integrated, open ecosystem that works across many companies' satellites.