Orbital Sidekick (OSK), a San Francisco, CA-based US commercial company deploying hyperspectral sensors in space, raised $16M in Series A funding.
The round was led by Temasek, with participation from Energy Innovation Capital, existing investors Allied Minds and 11.2 Capital, and Syndicate 708.
The company intends to use to expand its innovative product offerings, new strategic partnerships, and introduce its advanced monitoring technology to new industries.
Led by Tushar Prabhakar, COO, and Dan Katz, CEO, Orbital Sidekick deploys hyperspectral sensors in space to advance monitoring solutions for the energy sector and beyond. In response to the energy sector’s demand for leak prevention and monitoring, the company has developed various external partnerships to execute pilot programs, most notably with global energy leader Phillips 66 and the iPIPE Partnership, which is managed by the Energy & Environmental Research Center and includes premier natural gas pipeline transporters Energy Transfer and TC Energy, among others.
Orbital Sidekick is transitioning to and expanding satellite operations within these partnerships in 2021 with a path towards full commercialization next year. The company is also launching its Global Hyperspectral Observation Satellite constellation, known as GHOSt, on multiple SpaceX Falcon 9 missions beginning in Q1 2022.
Beyond pipeline monitoring, Orbital Sidekick is exploring new markets to help solve pressing global challenges. One such capability is regional fire risk detection in response to a global proliferation of extreme wildfires brought on by climate change and deforestation. The company is also employing its analytics platform for global emissions monitoring, clean energy exploration, and mineral detection.