Picosat Systems

Picosat Systems is a Bengaluru-based Indian small satellite and nanosatellite technology company founded in 2019, developing CubeSat bus platforms, spacecraft subsystems, and satellite development services for India's rapidly expanding private space sector — a market that opened significantly after the establishment of IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center) in 2020 to authorize and support private commercial space activities alongside ISRO.

The company's core offerings span multiple levels of the small satellite supply chain: complete nanosatellite bus platforms in 1U-12U CubeSat form factors providing structural, power, onboard computing, and communication capabilities with open interfaces for customer payloads; individual subsystem modules including electrical power systems (EPS), onboard computers (OBC), attitude determination and control systems (ADCS), and UHF/VHF/S-band communication systems; and engineering services including mission design, satellite integration and testing, RF link budget analysis, and launch coordination support.

Bengaluru's status as India's space capital provides essential ecosystem support: ISRO's headquarters and URSC (U.R. Rao Satellite Centre, the primary satellite design and manufacturing facility) are located in the city, as are the Indian Space Science and Technology Institute (IIST) and numerous ISRO-affiliated research labs — creating a talent pool of experienced satellite engineers available to private companies. The Bengaluru space startup cluster now includes Pixxel (hyperspectral EO constellation), Skyroot Aerospace (Vikram rocket, India's first private orbital launch 2022), Agnikul Cosmos (3D-printed rocket engine), Dhruva Space (satellite buses and deployers), and Bellatrix Aerospace (green propulsion) — all potential customers for Picosat's subsystem offerings.

IN-SPACe's opening of ISRO facilities and ground station infrastructure to private companies reduces the barrier to first satellite for Indian startups and universities, creating demand for turnkey CubeSat bus solutions. Indian Space Research Organisation's PSLV rideshare programs (PSLV-C53, C55, and the OneWeb/commercial launches) provide cost-accessible launch options for sub-100 kg satellites. Picosat competes domestically with Dhruva Space and internationally with GomSpace (Denmark), AAC Clyde Space (UK), NanoAvionics (Lithuania), and ISIS BV (Netherlands) for small satellite bus supply.