Episode Summary
This week on Pathfinder, we’re joined by Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of Pixxel, to discuss the company’s progress in building the world’s first commercial hyperspectral satellite constellation, its recent Firefly satellite launches, and its vision for transforming industries like agriculture, energy, and defense through advanced Earth observation.
Episode Notes
This week on Pathfinder, we’re joined by Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of Pixxel, a company focused on developing hyperspectral imaging technology from space. Pixxel is developing the world’s first commercial hyperspectral satellite constellation, aiming to provide detailed insights into critical industries like agriculture, energy, and defense.
With the recent launch of three Firefly satellites—the first in Pixxel’s commercial fleet—this episode explores the company’s progress and vision for the future of Earth observation. We also discuss:
- Pixxel’s founding story and Awais’ background in satellite engineering and Hyperloop competitions
- The fundamentals of hyperspectral imaging and its advantages over traditional imaging methods
- Pixxel’s satellite constellation plans and how they’re balancing commercial and government markets
- The role of AI in satellite imaging and its potential to unlock new applications
- Awais’ take on the evolving Earth observation market and the challenges of scaling a space startup
And more…
• Chapters •
00:00 – Intro
00:48 – Impact of the new administration
02:32 – The story behind Pixxel
07:37 – Hyperspectral imaging
11:14 – How hyperspectral fits into the other types of satellite imaging
15:01 – How big is the satellite imaging market today?
17:30 – Government uses and advancements in hyperspectral
21:30 – Established commercial vs growing government markets
25:23 – What does Pixxel’s constellation look like?
27:22 – Firefly vs Honeybee
28:03 – Customer experience at Pixxel
29:46 – AI’s impact
33:44 – Most valuable part of the EO stack
36:05 – Starlink architecture and other EO businesses
37:49 – Pixxel’s commercial traction
39:27 – What’s a good margin profile?
42:01 – Valuation of public EO businesses
45:19 – Raising private capital in EO and fundraising plans
48:37 – Pixxel in 2035
50:22 – What else excites Awais besides EO?
51:29 – Pixxel’s US office
• Show notes •
Pixxel’s website — https://www.pixxel.space/
Pixxel’s socials — https://twitter.com/PixxelSpace
Awais’ socials — https://twitter.com/awaisahmedna
Mo’s socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam
Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace
Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace
Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes
• About us •
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