Pixxel sets up US arm for defence, intelligence business

Bengaluru: Spacetech company Pixxel has set up a US subsidiary to expand its business with American govt agencies, including those in defence and intelligence.The unit, Pixxel Federal, will offer Earth observation technology, software and satellite systems to govt customers. Pixxel already has contracts with NASA and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The new subsidiary will build on those relationships and pursue more federal business, the company said.Pixxel’s satellites use hyperspectral imaging, a technique that helps identify materials based on how they reflect light. The technology can reveal details that conventional images may miss. The company said its applications include detecting camouflage, identifying mineral deposits, monitoring the environment and tracking crop health.“The US government market represents a significant opportunity for Pixxel as we expand our capabilities beyond hyperspectral imaging into advanced sensing technologies, software, and satellite systems,” said founder and CEO Awais Ahmed.Allyson Jenkins, previously Pixxel’s vice president for the public sector, has been appointed CEO of the subsidiary. She has 18 years of experience in national security and geospatial intelligence, including nine years at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Jenkins joined Pixxel in Jan 2025 and has led its US govt business.The subsidiary’s board includes retired US Army lieutenant general Ray Palumbo, former Northrop Grumman executive Patrick M. Antkowiak and Frank X. Avila, who held leadership roles at the CIA and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.Pixxel Federal also plans to open an office in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area to work more closely with govt customers and partners.The move follows Pixxel’s $100 million Series C funding round, co-led by Temasek and Seraphim, which took its total funding to $195 million. The company said the money is supporting expansion in sensing technologies, software, satellite systems and manufacturing. Pixxel has six Firefly satellites in orbit and also develops Earth observation software and designs and manufactures satellites.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.