AWS Launches Space Tech Accelerator in India with T-Hub and Minfy

Amazon Web Services (AWS) India Private Limited revealed the AWS Space Accelerator: India, a comprehensive initiative aimed at nurturing startups in the space technology domain and propelling their growth through technical expertise, business guidance, and mentorship. Collaborating with T-Hub and Minfy, this program marks AWS's inaugural accelerator venture in India dedicated to fostering space sector startups. The launch follows AWS's memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ISRO and IN-SPACe in September of the previous year, aimed at cultivating space-tech startups and fostering innovation within the sector.

The 14-week accelerator initiative offers Indian startups exclusive access to tailored business resources, technical expertise, and strategic guidance essential for enhancing their technology and business capabilities. With a focus on leveraging AWS infrastructure, the program empowers startups to develop, expand, and amplify their missions within the space sector. It welcomes both budding and established startups based in India, whose objectives align with advancing the space industry and require a robust technology platform to propel their ideas forward. Entrepreneurs seeking accelerated growth and investment prospects are encouraged to explore further details and enroll via the provided link before the deadline on March 17th, 2024.

Space tech startups navigate a high-risk terrain demanding substantial capital investment and access to adept talent pools, alongside the imperative of substantial technology development and testing. The accelerator program aims to confront these hurdles by furnishing space tech startups with a platform to construct and evaluate their solutions via simulation technologies on AWS before committing to capital expenditures. This approach enables startups to engage in rapid experimentation at minimal cost, refining their solutions iteratively and fortifying them before the commencement of launch and scaling phases.

Qualified startups admitted to the program stand to gain a multitude of advantages, comprising: access to up to US$100,000 in AWS credits, along with mentorship from professionals at ISRO, IN-SPACe, and AWS, coupled with business and technological assistance from T-Hub and Minfy, an esteemed AWS Premier Partner. Participants will delve into space domain technologies and applications, mastering the art of harnessing space data and crafting scalable solutions through cloud computing, data analytics, and machine learning methodologies, with the added possibility of incorporating generative artificial intelligence (AI) into their endeavors.

There are various use cases for space technology, including in agriculture, aviation, climate change, disaster management, financial services, maritime, and wildlife and environment conservation, where startups can play a key role in developing impactful solutions. For example, as per an AWS commissioned report titled “Realizing a Cloud-enabled Economy: How Cloud Drives Economic and Societal Impact Through Small Businesses”, cloud-enabled small businesses in India can help unlock ₹1.1 trillion in annual productivity benefits in agriculture, and one in nine farms will use precision agriculture solutions that enhance productivity by 2030, representing a 300% increase compared to the current usage rate.

“Cloud computing is crucial to power the future of the space industry. It enables space-tech startups to harness high-performance computing resources to perform intensive data analysis, apply machine learning models, and innovate in their missions while achieving lower cost of operations, faster time-to-market, and deployment at scale,” said Clint Crosier, Director of Aerospace and Satellite, AWS Inc. “Technologies such as generative AI open transformative opportunities for space-tech, and we are committed to helping startups innovate and develop sustainable solutions for the space sector.”

“The launch of AWS’s first space accelerator for India-based startups directly supports our commitment to the Indian space industry through our MoU with ISRO, and IN-SPACe, announced last year,” said Shalini Kapoor, Director and Chief Technologist, Public Sector, AWS India Private Limited. “India has world-class talent in the space sector, and we look forward to collaborating with ISRO, IN-SPACe, T-Hub, and Minfy through this initiative to nurture space-tech innovation in the country.”

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has taken a step towards creating awareness of space technology and developing India's space sector. As part of this initiative, ISRO will explore the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amazon Web Services (AWS), and extend necessary support to foster start-up innovation in the country, while adhering to the prevailing guidelines of the department. This support will include educational workshops and seminars for start-ups and supporting the accelerator program. Through this initiative, ISRO aims to inspire and facilitate budding entrepreneurs and nurture the next generation of space technologists from India.

The IN-SPACe initiative, which is in line with the Government of India's goal of enhancing the country's space economy and promoting private sector companies in the space industry, will support an accelerator program that collaborates with the space-tech community in India, as per the existing framework within the Department of Space.

T-Hub will provide startups insights into essential aspects such as business establishment, fundraising strategies, and finetuning pitch presentations. “We are excited to support the AWS Space Accelerator program in India,” said Mahankali Srinivas Rao, CEO, of T-Hub. “This program is set to propel innovation, foster collaboration, and strengthen the startup ecosystem in India. With T-Hub’s dedicated mentorship, hands-on technical support, and a vibrant alumni network, we are committed to helping startups reach new heights in the space sector."

Minfy will run a series of sessions by its technical experts, covering topics including foundational AWS knowledge, advanced cloud architecture, aligning with the AWS Well-Architected Framework, and securing workloads, enabling startups for accelerated development. “Through the AWS India Space Accelerator program, we aim to empower startups to build secure and scalable solutions by leveraging cloud and AI,” said Raj Chilakapati, global pre-sales leader, Minfy. “With our years of knowledge and experience of helping hundreds of customers build successfully on AWS, we are committed to helping startups be well poised for innovation and growth.”

The AWS Space Accelerator: India program is now accepting applications. The program will evaluate applications based on various factors, such as the uniqueness or innovativeness of the startup's solution, its suitability to the market, the value it can bring to space technology innovation and sustainability, the use of AWS technology to solve problems, and the team's ability to execute on the identified opportunity.

The AWS Space Accelerator: India is part of AWS's commitment to support startup innovation in the global space sector. AWS has previously organized three editions of the AWS Space Accelerator program, which have been used by multiple startups worldwide to strengthen and scale their solutions. Notable startups that have benefited from this program include Blue Sky Analytics (based in the Netherlands and founded in India) and Kawa (headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in India).