Indian deep-tech aerospace startup Trishul Space has raised a ₹4 crore round in the pre-seed round. The IAN Angel Fund led this massive capital injection, and other key contributors were 8X Ventures and Immersive Technology and Entrepreneurship Labs (ITEL). The investment is considered a powerful confirmation of the technological competence of the company and its ability to provide the latest, but cost-effective, solutions to government as well as individual manufacturers of launch vehicles.

Newly acquired funds and growth

The acquired funds have been efficiently distributed as per two main goals that are most important to the near-term development of the company and its financial sustainability. A large part of the capital will be allocated to research and intensive testing of the advanced turbopump technology by the company. Turbopumps are sophisticated and high-performance components that are necessary in liquid-propellant rocket engines and are crucial in maintaining reliability and a high thrust-to-weight ratio.

The investment will also speed up the progress and near-commercialization of the flagship product, Harpy-1, of the company. The Harpy-1 is a high-performance liquid rocket engine that is designed specifically to work with small satellite launch vehicles. Through these two segments, Trishul Space will be able to move its theoretical designs and prototyping into flight-ready, commercially viable hardware in the shortest amount of time, reducing the expected amount of time-to-market on its advanced propulsion solutions.

Core focus and enhancement

Trishul Space was co-founded by Aditya Singh, Divyam, and Rajat Choudhary in 2022. The company specialises in deep-tech aerospace, meaning they are fundamentally in the business of developing propulsion systems based on efficient staged combustion cycles. This is a progressive engine design that has the highest efficiency and performance characteristics, enabling it to carry more cargo and less cost to launch. An AI-based failure detection mechanism is also a part of the technology stack. This new implementation of artificial intelligence is aimed at tracking the engine operation in real-time, predicting possible failures, and improving the stability of the entire propulsion system. This AI-based solution is a major point of difference, and not only does it offer space access that is faster and more cost-effective, but it is also extremely competitive internationally.

It has its headquarters in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, but does its research and development in the R&I Park of IIT Delhi. The model of a dual location enables Trishul Space to operate within the scholarly and research setting of a top university and still have its main location.

The presence in the R&I Park affords the company an ecosystem that is favorable to deep-tech innovation and partnership, which supports the company’s mission of offering affordable propulsion solutions to a wide spectrum of customers, including government space agencies and newcomer small launch vehicle manufacturers. It is a structural base created to develop the domestic space capabilities of India and the global move toward a genuinely spacefaring civilization.

Conclusion

The ₹4 crore pre-seed funding of Trishul Space is not only a message of capital raising but is also a clear message in the direction this space technology is taking in India in the private sector. With the emphasis on the development of the superior propulsion systems (staged combustion cycles), artificial intelligence (AI) based failure detection, and the Harpy-1 liquid rocket engine, the company is also solving a major bottleneck in the launch vehicle industry, the necessity of powerful, reliable, and cost-efficient engines. Investor support and strategic direction of investors like IAN Angel Fund will definitely add to the commercialization of these deep-tech solutions.