Meet the Duke startup trying to put a satelitte in space
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Backed by more than $7 million in seed funding, a Duke University spinout is hoping to launch a new generation of satellite cameras into space in the next few years.
Why it matters: Extellis is one of the latest startups to emerge from research at Duke University, which is increasingly turning promising advancements in labs into real-world companies growing in the Triangle.
Zoom in: Extellis was co-founded by former Duke researcher Michael Boyarsky, who spent more than 10 years working on the idea, and Duke engineering professor David Smith.
- The company is building a satellite imaging technology that is capable of capturing up to 10,000 images per day. Most importantly, it employs synthetic-aperture radar [SAR] technology that uses microwave wavelengths to pierce clouds and capture images at night.
- That gives it a significant edge over traditional optical satellite cameras, which require sunlight and can have their imaging capabilities obscured more easily.
- Most SAR satellite cameras today struggle with capacity and reliability, Boyarsky said, and Extellis hopes the upgrades it has made with Duke research will solve some of those problems.
What they're saying: "For a planet covered 70% in cloud cover and 50% in nighttime, [optical cameras] are not able to be persistent or reliable," Boyarsky, the startup's CEO, told Axios.
- "You know, parts of the world, like Singapore, face like 90% to 95% cloud cover," he added. "You might not get a new opportunity to take imagery with those systems for a month."
Driving the news: The company raised $6.8 million in funding from investors last year, including local groups like Oval Park Capital and Duke Capital Partners.
- It has also landed several government grants, including $2.3 million from DARPA.
- The latest feather in Extellis' cap is backing from the oil giant Shell's venture arm. The funding amount wasn't disclosed, but the investment gives a hint at what type of customers could be interested in using Extellis' imaging technology.
State of play: Boyarsky said most people think of satellite imaging as a defense-and-government-based product.
- But lots of companies are looking for increased data and insights on what's happening across the globe, whether it is quicker insights on damage from a natural disaster or how many ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
- He hopes that Extellis' technology can make satellite imaging less expensive by delivering a higher quantity of usable photos.
- "We can take really high volume of imagery, and for me, that opens up a ton of opportunities because the economics change so dramatically," Boyarsky said. "I think we have the opportunity to really break satellite imaging out of its defense-only niche and towards much broader adoption because the pricing and economics don't make sense today."
What's next: Extellis hopes to use its initial funding to prove out the effectiveness of its imaging technology — first on a high-altitude plane and then in orbit around the Earth.
- Boyarsky said that it hopes to launch its satellite into space within two years, probably using a SpaceX rocket.