Awais Ahmed, Founder of Pixxel. At just 25 years old, this boy is scripting history by establishing a startup dedicated to launching satellites aimed at combating climate change within India.
As we approach 2050, with an estimated global population of around 10 billion, the pressing responsibility of ensuring sufficient food, water, and energy for all falls to our generation.
Entrepreneur Awais Ahmed recognized the potential and harnessed AI models to analyze vast amounts of satellite data, extracting insights ranging from agricultural predictions and pest control to illegal mining detection.
Back in the early 2000s, in the serene village of Aldur within Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district, a young boy named Awais nurtured dreams of becoming an astronaut. Amid a time void of the internet and smartphones, his father furnished him with encyclopedias that opened gateways to explore galaxies, space, and the universe.
Fast forward to 2015, at Rajasthan’s BITS Pilani campus, Awais’ affinity for space soared to new heights. During his initial and second years, he was a member of Team Anant, a student satellite group, and collaborated with ISRO scientists on satellite projects. This marked his introduction to satellites, an experience he cherished.
Inspired by Elon Musk, he co-founded Hyperloop India in 2016 during his second college year. The team participated in SpaceX’s Hyperloop Pod competition in 2017, where they designed a pod for high-speed travel within a vacuum tube.
In February 2019, Awais co-founded Pixxel alongside Kshitij Khandelwal and two other engineers. The mission was to launch advanced imaging satellites named hyperspectral imaging satellites capable of capturing daily images of every spot on Earth.
Beyond that, Pixxel aspires to develop a global health monitoring system. For incidents involving internal bleeding, they employ ultrasound and MRI imaging. Similarly, for gas leaks or crop diseases, they utilize hyperspectral imaging satellites, which can capture images across numerous wavelengths.
Pixxel has already launched three satellites and is poised to launch six more in the coming year. In April 2022, they created history by launching ‘Shakuntala’ aboard the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket, positioning themselves as one of India’s pioneering commercial satellite launchers.
In November 2022, their third hyperspectral satellite ‘Anand’ was launched via an ISRO PSLV-C54 rocket. Weighing 15 kg, Anand will meticulously observe Earth, providing environmental data through over 150 wavelengths.
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