SkyFi has a very ambitious vision: making satellite imagery available and accessible for the masses.
But before it can even dream about widespread EO democratization, the Austin, TX startup must develop a clean, consumerized experience, with a web portal and mobile app that support a marketplace for imagery, data, and analytics.
To that end, SkyFi has redesigned its website and this week launched its mobile app in beta. The iOS and Android app currently has ~300 “curated” users, SkyFi CEO Luke Fischer told Payload, and the company will continue onboarding in waves. The startup currently has a headcount of 26, with 15 engineers. Fischer says SkyFi is “making a big push” to build a diverse team and that 25% of its engineering team is female.
Team work makes the dream work
SkyFi has quickly added new partners onto its platform, which now pulls from 40+ satellites and 13 imagery providers and analytics vendors. The startup signed its two newest partners, SIIS and Geosat, at World Satellite Business Week this morning. SkyFi’s 13 partners are Umbra, Albedo, Satellogic, Urban Sky, Wyvern, Head Aerospace, Axel Space, Image Sat, Impact Observatory, Synmax, Satrec Initiative, SIIS, and Geosat.
Extra runway makes the world go round
SkyFi has topped off its initial ~$7M seed round, which we covered in February, and has now raised $10M.
- Notable investors include Bill Perkins, a hedge fund manager, poker pro, and SkyFi founder; J2 Ventures; Vivek Sodera, cofounder of Superhuman; Sky Dayton, who works at Craft Ventures but invested personally as an angel; “and a bunch of our friends and family,” Fischer said.
- SkyFi opted to fortify its balance sheet with a bit more cash due to “changing global and market conditions.”
Looking ahead: The SkyFi app’s global launch is roughly two months out, but it’s a “very tentative” moving target. SkyFi must squash any bugs found in the beta app and iterate based on early user feedback.
