AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited

AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited (/ɐɡnɪ ’kʊl/; lit. 'Fire Clan') is an Indian aerospace manufacturer based in National Center for Combustion R&D (NCRD) of IIT Madras, Chennai. The start up aims to develop and launch its own small-lift launch vehicle such as the Agnibaan, capable of placing 100 kg (220 lb) payload into a 700 km (430 mi) orbit. First commercial launch is expected in 2022. Mockup of the Agnibaan launch vehicle and it's engine at the International Astronautical Congress 2021. Contents 1 History 2 Development of Engines 3 Launch vehicle 4 Startup Funding 5 See also 6 References History The company was founded by Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM within IIT Madras with a seed funding of ₹3 crore (equivalent to ₹3.6 crore or US$470,000 in 2020) with aim to develop and launch its first rocket in 2021 and subsequently develop ability to provide launch service for satellites weighing up to 500 kg (1,100 lb).[1] The start-up later managed to raise up to ₹23.4 crore (US$3.1 million) from investors.[2] Till end of 2020, the company had raised almost $4 million and headed towards Indian Space Research Organisation for advisory.[3] A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was signed with Department of Space to obtain government's technological assistance in development of launch vehicles.[4] Although, company entered an agreement with Alaska Aerospace Corp. to launch rocket from Kodiak Launch Complex as a commercial launch pad to test rockets was not available in India.[5] AgniKul has received investment from personal capacity of Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra Group. Although, amount was not specified.[6] AgniKul signed a framework agreement with the Department of Space in September 2021 for access to ISRO facilities and technical expertise for the development of its two-stage small-satellite Agnibaan launch vehicle.[7] Development of Engines In February 2021, Agnikul test fired its semi-cryogenic rocket engine Agnilet which will power second stage of its rocket Agnibaan for the first time. The engine has been developed in single-piece through 3D printing with no assembled parts.[8] Launch vehicle Agnibaan (lit. 'Arrow of fire') is envisaged to be a mobile launch system capable of placing a 100 kg (220 lb) into a 700 km (430 mi) orbit. The rocket will be 18 meters long with a diameter of 1.3 meters and a lift-off mass of 14,000 kg (31,000 lb). It will use clustered engines on first stage in various configurations depending upon the payload and will only use LOX or Kerosene based engines. The rocket is supposed to be manufactured by 3D printing at whole.[9] Startup Funding “Agnikul is democratising access to space for the small satellite market, which is largely underserved globally. For these customers, this is a game changer as they now have zero wait time and can control their own mission, all at an affordable cost. The team’s customer centric approach combined with their ability to constantly innovate will help them stay ahead of competition and build a global success story. We are excited to back Srinath and Moin on their journey to space”, said Vikram Godse, Managing Partner, Mayfield India. “We invest in companies that are redefining the future of deep tech and space tech, and are excited to continue on this journey with Agnikul by participating in this funding round. This funding is a strong validation for the opportunity in global private space and the potential to build deep-tech companies from India for the world. With this investment, Speciale will continue to fuel Agnikul’s efforts to further push India’s self-reliance in this space”, said Vishesh Rajaram, Managing Partner, Speciale Invest. “Agnikul is one of the unique companies to come out of India. Their mission of democratising access to space on the back of fundamentally disruptive technology is awe inspiring. We at pi are fortunate to be associated with them. It aligns with our vision of backing disruptive companies solving global problems via tech innovations very well. With this round, they are well on their way to achieving their mission. All the very best to them”, said Manish Singhal, Founding Partner, pi Ventures. ,Agnikul today announced raising $11 million in a Series A funding round led by Mayfield India, making it the largest funding round for a private Indian space technology company in India. Existing investors pi Ventures, Speciale Invest, and Artha Ventures also invested in this round. The round also saw participation from BEENEXT, Globevestor, LionRock Capital and prominent angel investors Anand Mahindra, Naval Ravikant, Balaji Srinivasan, Nithin Kamath, Abhishek Singhania, Aarthi Ramamurthy; and Sriram Krishnan, Anicut Angel Fund, among others. As a part of the round, Mayfield India’s managing partner Vikram Godse will be joining the board of the company. The funds will be deployed to strengthen the technology infrastructure, expand ground testing and build a world class team to help Agnikul become India’s first private player to launch satellites in space.