Amazon Web Services has chosen 24 Indian startups to participate in its space accelerator program.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has chosen 24 spacetech startups to participate in its AWS Space Accelerator: India, a technical, business, and mentorship program aimed at nurturing space technology startups in India. This initiative marks AWS's first country-specific space accelerator, reflecting its intention to strengthen connections within India's emerging space ecosystem. AWS has previously conducted global accelerator programs over the past four years.

"We specifically chose to hold this first country-focused space accelerator in India because we see extraordinary growth opportunities in the Indian space sector. There are a record number of new Indian space startups forming, there is strong support from the Government of India as evidenced by our MoU with ISRO and IN-SPACe, and India has some of the best educated and proficient talent in the world in the technical areas that encompass space,” said Clint Crosier, Director of the Aerospace and Satellite Business at AWS.

AWS entered the space industry around four years ago, identifying a synergy between cloud technologies and space. The accelerator program was announced in February this year in collaboration with T-Hub and Minfy. The selected startups will receive up to $100,000 in AWS credits and support to develop and scale their solutions. These startups are primarily at the pre-seed stage, with fewer than 15 employees, and span various segments of the space sector, including spacecraft propulsion, orbital and launch vehicles, satellite imagery, geospatial applications, weather analysis, and space tourism. They are located across diverse regions in India, not just in metropolitan areas, with startups from Mangaluru, Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. AWS stated that the startups would have opportunities to explore space data and learn to build scalable solutions using technologies such as GenAI, machine learning, and data analytics. They will also gain insights into go-to-market strategies, fundraising, and business fundamentals. The 14-week program will conclude in about a month with a showcase of the startups' solutions, potentially attracting venture capital funding.