Start-up hustle to space mission: Akula Tech is taking satellites to the next level

Akula Tech is transforming space technology with AI-powered satellites that provide real-time insights for disaster response, security, environmental monitoring, and more. Under the leadership of founder Preetham Akula, the company has cut satellite production timelines to just 6-8 months, fuelling global growth and securing clients in Australia, Canada, and Asia and eyes the USA next.

Preetham Akula’s first foray into business wasn’t exactly a space mission.  

In 2021, he and a few friends opened a café. “We weren’t making chai to change the world,” Akula says.  

“However, I did learn a lot about how to run a business.” 

The café was the young space engineer’s introduction to the world of entrepreneurship. Although it was not the aerospace career he had envisioned, it helped him refine the skills that would later prove crucial for launching Akula Tech, a company now rethinking satellite technology. 

Akula founded the eponymous Akula Tech in May 2022 with a singular aim: to address inefficiencies in current satellite systems. While payloads and sensors could generate enormous amounts of data, satellites only relayed information back to Earth, often through expensive and slow bandwidth. Akula saw the problem as a missed opportunity for innovation. “Satellites are passive carriers of data. They don’t process it themselves. That’s what we wanted to change,” he says. 

Akula Tech’s solution is deceptively simple: creating AI-powered satellites that process data directly in space. These autonomous systems reduce the need for downlinking and provide real-time insights. “We wanted satellites that didn’t just gather information but could analyse it and make decisions in orbit,” Akula says. 

Akula’s ambitions don’t stop there.  

The satellites Akula Tech is developing are reconfigurable, allowing them to adapt to changing mission needs long after they’ve been launched. This flexibility means they can be put to different uses, increasing their value and longevity in orbit. Additionally, Akula’s satellites feature swarming capabilities, enabling them to work together autonomously, reducing  the need for human intervention. This can change the game “mission” mid-orbit.  

Today, Akula Tech counts clients from Australia, Canada, and Asia and is quickly establishing a reputation for its innovative approach to satellite design. “Australia has a lot to offer regarding resources and talent,” Akula notes. “The satellite market here may not be as large, but we have the potential to lead. Our job is to make sure we can bring those resources together.” 

One of Akula’s key missions is to make satellite data directly accessible to the public via smartphones. “Imagine getting real-time alerts on natural disasters, environmental changes, or even security threats straight to your phone,” Akula says. He aims to bypass traditional intermediaries, offering users immediate access to space-based data. This direct-to-device communication could change how satellite technology is used globally. 

What remains is the push to expand his company’s global reach. Akula sees significant opportunities in India, where a large talent pool and a growing interest in space technology can create partnering opportunities. “India has the skills and the resources, and we have the technology to complement that,” he explains. 

The company’s vision is much bigger and bolder. Akula forecasts that his brainchild could become a billion-dollar company in five to eight years, capturing a fair share of the 20,000 satellites expected to launch globally. “We want to be the next unicorn in space, using Australia as the springboard to reach the global market,” he says. 

Learn more at akulatech.com