Nistha Tripathi

He made it to the final rounds of Hyperloop Competition but that’s not his only connection to Elon Musk.
Today, Awais Ahmed is about to launch India’s first homegrown private satellite & that too after raising only $8 mn! 🛰

How? Read the crazy story of Pixxel ...

Awais joined BITS Pilani in 2015 and decided to participate in SpaceX’s Hyperloop Competition.

The concept is so new that there are no guides. He teams with his senior Sibesh to participate in the competition. They figure out from scratch how to build the levitation and braking systems for the pod.

They make it to the 24 teams (out of 2400) advancing to the final round in SpaceX HQ! Even taking the pod to LA requires Rs 1.25 cr. So, they crowdfund the campaign and make it to Elon's land.

Although they don't make it final 3 teams, Awais realizes that a bunch of students could build a complicated pod in 3 months with no guidance. Imagine if they could get proper guidance and resources.

He researches on ideas around spacetech and figures that he can build a student satellite in <$1m.

He creates a team and studies various applications. They zero in on imaging satellites so that they can sell the high res imagery like Planet Labs! They validate the idea by talking to companies buying such imagery. Their willingness to pay gives them confidence to officially start Pixxel in 2018.

In their final year, they are giving exams and trying to fundraise at the same time. Awais flies all the way to USA for a BITS alumni event to pitch Pixxel. His efforts lead to raising a pre-seed round of $700K by May 2019.

In June 2019, Pixxel becomes the sole Asian Startup making it into Techstars Space Programme, LA. They find mentors who have run satellite imagery companies before and are able to crack important deals.

Meanwhile, they secure critical partners to help them build and launch their first satellite.
Their progress, despite the covid lockdowns, attract a fresh round of USD 7.3 million from Techstars, Omnivore VC and others in March 2021.

Today, Pixxel has 50 engineers and experienced consultants from orgs like ISRO. They are ready to launch their 1st two satellites in a few months! (pic shows Dr K Sivan inaugurating Pixxel's office)

🚀 The success of Pixxel means extending the very frontiers of India’s presence in spacetech. And it took only $8mn and two students to do this!

I interviewed Awais for my book Futurepreneurs which contains the details of this story.
This is why I write startup books - to inspire and be inspired. Link to read it is mentioned in the first comment.

For more such #startupstories follow me at Nistha Tripathi

‪Trump suspends #H1B program temporarily. A thread for grad students 👇‬

Some of my colleagues from Citi who couldn't get H1B were relocated to other countries. Companies try to retain their skilled employees as much as possible, they can move them to Europe or Canada if needed. Talk to your employer & figure out your options.

Of crs, startups may not have all these options but if they really want you, they figure out a way esp now when remote working is widely acceptable.

If you were planning to apply to US for studies, be prepared for such announcements. I believe US is best innovation hub - the kind of work and salaries you get there is unmatched elsewhere. If your goal is immigration, look elsewhere as well.

There's something called recession or Trump proof graduate - he's the one who's been so busy skilling himself that he knows he can find a job in any market. Be that guy.

If you are solid in your fundamentals, you WILL find a job. It may not be what & where you wanted it right away but you won't be unemployed.

Lastly, world is changing in unexpected ways. It's better to be prepared for the worst. The moment you accept that anything can happen, you are half way ready to handle it. Think of backup options & be damn good in your field.

You can do this. Good luck 👍