Skyroot Aerospace Becomes India's First Space-Tech Unicorn

Key facts

• Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace has achieved a valuation of $1.1 billion, making it the first space-technology startup in India to reach unicorn status.
• The company raised nearly $60 million in a funding round co-led by Sherpalo Ventures and GIC, with participation from BlackRock and the Shanghvi Family Office.
• Skyroot Aerospace is preparing for the upcoming launch of Vikram-1, which aims to be the first privately developed Indian rocket to place satellites into orbit.
• Founded by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, the firm previously launched India's first private suborbital rocket, Vikram-S, in 2022.
• The Vikram-1 rocket utilises 3D-printed components and is designed to carry payloads of up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).