What Abyom does

Abyom SpaceTech & Defence Private Limited is a Hyderabad-based spacetech startup founded in 2020 that develops reusable launch vehicles and rocket propulsion systems centered on re-ignitable, throttleable cryogenic engines. The company incubated at the BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus has built a portfolio of three reusable launch vehicles — a Reusable Sounding Rocket, a Small Reusable Launch Vehicle with 2.6-tonne LEO payload, and a Medium Reusable Launch Vehicle with 15-tonne LEO payload — alongside the proprietary AbyoKalam engine family (35, 350, 950) and the BSE-II 2.5 kN bi-propellant liquid rocket engine, the latter validated through 250+ hot-fire tests achieving ~12 bar chamber pressure and temperatures exceeding 2,200°C. Underlying technology components include a pintle injector, a Spark Torch Igniter, and a compact containerized Commercial Test Facility (CTF) built in collaboration with PIEDS for engines up to 10 kN, with patents filed on each.

The company's go-to-market is a direct enterprise sales motion spanning four revenue streams: plug-and-play launch services for commercial and defence satellite deployment, commercial rocket engine testing services for academic institutions and R&D teams, microgravity experiment access above the Kármán line, and meteorological mission services. Customer segments are academic institutions (BITS Pilani, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay are named partners using the CTF), India's space and defence ecosystem (responsive GEO satellite deployment for sovereign access), and commercial satellite operators. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is assumed to be quote-based given the custom-engineered nature of launch and defence programs.

In mid-2025, Abyom completed what it describes as India's first fully indigenous reusable liquid rocket engine qualification test campaign, with all engine systems, control architecture, instrumentation, and data acquisition developed in-house at a fraction of the typical industry development cost. The business has only one disclosed funding event — an undisclosed 2023 pre-seed round — and remains pre-commercial on its core launch products, though the CTF testing business is operational. The company is recognized by Forbes (Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia for CEO Jainul Abedin in 2025; Forbes India DGEMS 2024 Select 200), Startup India, and Boeing (University Innovation Leadership Development Program 2023-24 winner), and is developing the HOPE VTVL programme targeting India's first fully automated vertical take-off and vertical landing reusable rocket demonstrator.

Name

Abyom

Legal name

Abyom SpaceTech & Defence Private Limited

Website

https://abyom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Abyom is a Hyderabad-based spacetech startup developing reusable rockets with re-ignitable, throttleable cryogenic engines and VTVL technology, serving India's academic, commercial, and defence space customers via launch services and a commercial engine test facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Launch Vehicles

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets (IMABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rocket Engines (Liquid) (IMABADAE)

Keywords

• Reusable launch vehicles
• Cryogenic rocket engines
• Space launch services
• Rocket engine testing
• Spacetech infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyderabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Plug-and-Play Launch Services: Commercial launch services for satellites, micro-constellations, and orbital assets enabling frequent, low-cost deployment for connectivity, earth observation, and commercial space services.
2. Rocket Engine Testing Services: Static fire tests and performance evaluations at Abyom's Commercial Test Facility for rocket engines up to 10kN thrust. Provides testing services to academic institutions and R&D teams.
3. Defence Satellite Deployment: Deploying defence satellites into GEO to support responsive space operations and establishing sovereign access to space for critical defence applications.
4. Microgravity Experiment Services: Short-duration microgravity environments above the Kármán line for validating life sciences, fluid dynamics, and material behavior in space-like conditions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Abyom develops indigenous reusable launch vehicles powered by re-ignitable and throttleable cryogenic engines, offering orbital and suborbital launch services for commercial satellites, defence payloads, microgravity experiments, and meteorological missions. The company operates a Commercial Test Facility for static-fire rocket engine testing and provides a plug-and-play launch services model targeting India's growing private space ecosystem, academic institutions, and defence sector.

Product overview

Abyom SpaceTech & Defence is India's first SpaceTech company developing space infrastructure and reusable rockets with re-ignitable and throttleable cryogenic engines. The company offers a portfolio of three reusable launch vehicles (Reusable Sounding Rocket, Small Reusable Launch Vehicle, and Medium Reusable Launch Vehicle), proprietary rocket engines (BSE-II, AbyoKalam series), and a commercial Rocket Engine Test Facility. The product ecosystem also includes key propulsion components (Spark Torch Igniter, Pintle Injector) with patents filed, and plug-and-play launch services. The company is developing the Flight Ready Cryogenic Engine and HOPE VTVL reusable rocket programme for India's first fully automated VTVL demonstrator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AbyoKalam: Family of rocket engines including AbyoKalam-35 (sounding rocket), AbyoKalam-350 (small launch vehicle), and AbyoKalam-950 (medium launch vehicle) - all featuring LOX/LNG propellant and re-ignitable, throttleable cryogenic technology.

Products and services

• Reusable Sounding Rocket A reusable sounding rocket platform designed for scientific and technology demonstration missions, supporting meteorological studies, upper atmospheric studies, and microgravity experiments near the Kármán line. Offers frequent, cost-effective access to near-space environments with an ideal testbed for aerospace technology validation.
• Small Reusable Launch Vehicle An agile and cost-effective reusable launch vehicle for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) deployment, designed for earth imagery, navigation satellites, satellite constellations, and rapid-response cargo delivery to space stations. Features high launch cadence and quick turnaround with 2.6 Ton to LEO and 1 Ton to SSO payload capacity.
• Medium Reusable Launch Vehicle A versatile reusable launch vehicle engineered for delivering telecom and defence satellites to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), supporting cargo and crew transport needs. Enables on-demand launches to orbital platforms with reusable capacity of 15 Ton to LEO, 9 Ton to SSO, 2 Ton to GTO.
• Rocket Engine Test Facility (CTF) A compact, containerized rocket engine test platform built for engines up to 10 kN thrust, developed in collaboration with PIEDS. Offers universities and startups accessible propulsion testing with modular architecture enabling quick reconfiguration and seamless upgrades.
• BSE-II Liquid Rocket Engine A 2.5 kN thrust-class bi-propellant liquid rocket engine featuring a pintle injector system. Achieved chamber pressure of around 12 bar and temperatures exceeding 2,200°C in six-second runs, with combustion stability, fuel flow, and performance validated across 250+ hot-fire tests.
• AbyoKalam Engine Family Family of rocket engines including AbyoKalam-35 (sounding rocket, 5 engines), AbyoKalam-350 (small launch vehicle), and AbyoKalam-950 (medium launch vehicle, 9 engines), all using LOX/LNG propellant with re-ignitable, throttleable cryogenic technology for different launch vehicle configurations.
• HOPE VTVL Reusable Rocket Programme Vertical Take-off and Vertical Landing (VTVL) reusable rocket programme targeting India's first fully automated reusable rocket demonstrator vehicle with re-ignitable, throttleable cryogenic propulsion.
• Flight Ready Cryogenic Engine Development programme for flight-ready cryogenic engines using re-ignitable and throttleable technology capable of multi-launching within minimal time and at affordable cost.
• Mobile Rocket Engine Testing Facility A mobile rocket engine testing facility developed in 2023, enabling on-site propulsion testing services for academic institutions and R&D teams across India's growing private space ecosystem.
• Plug-and-Play Launch Service Commercialized reusable rocket launch service offered as a plug-and-play model to address the high cost barrier in the aerospace industry. Covers orbital and suborbital launches, defence satellite deployment, microgravity experiments, and meteorological missions for commercial and government customers.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BoeingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2024Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development Program winner - recognition that supports innovation and leadership development in aerospace.
• BITS PilanicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbyom is incubated at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus. Academic partnership for propulsion testing, research collaborations, and access to testing facilities. BITS Pilani has partnered with Abyom's Commercial Test Facility.
• IIT MadrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution partnered with Abyom's testing facility for propulsion testing and validation as part of India's growing private space ecosystem.
• IIT BombaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution partnered with Abyom's testing facility for propulsion testing and validation.
• PIEDScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with PIEDS to develop Abyom's Rocket Engine Test Facility - a compact, containerized platform built for engines up to 10kN thrust.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• PLD Space: Spanish reusable launch startup developing Miura 1 and Miura 5 launch vehicles. Comparable to Abyom as an early-stage European/Asian counterpart focused on small reusable rockets and proprietary liquid propulsion.

Direct peers

• Bellatrix Aerospace: Indian rocket propulsion and launch startup developing electric and chemical propulsion including the Chetak launch vehicle. Closely comparable to Abyom in stage, propulsion focus, and Indian private space ecosystem positioning.
• Dhruva Space: Indian space-tech startup offering satellite platforms, launch services, and ground systems. Competes with Abyom for Indian commercial and defense satellite deployment contracts and shares the same Hyderabad ecosystem.
• Firefly Aerospace: US small-satellite launch operator with the Alpha and planned MLV vehicles. Compares to Abyom as a small/medium-lift launcher targeting responsive, cost-effective deployment for commercial and defense payloads.
• Skyroot Aerospace: Indian spacetech startup developing the Vikram-series of reusable small satellite launch vehicles with proprietary cryogenic engines. Closest direct competitor to Abyom in the Indian private reusable launch market, targeting similar defense and commercial satellite customers.
• Agnikul Cosmos: Chennai-based launch startup developing the Agnibaan small satellite launch vehicle using a semi-cryogenic engine. Targets the same Indian private launch and academic testing ecosystem as Abyom, with a comparable customer base of small-sat operators and academic institutions.

Broad incumbents

• Relativity Space: US launch startup developing the reusable Terran R and Terran 1 vehicles with proprietary 3D-printed Aeon engines. Comparable to Abyom in vertical integration and ambition to develop fully indigenous reusable launch technology.
• SpaceX: Global leader in reusable orbital launch with Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship. Sets the benchmark Abyom's reusable, throttleable cryogenic engine architecture aspires to compete with at smaller scale.
• Rocket Lab: US-listed small launch operator with the Electron and Neutron vehicles using in-house liquid engines (including Rutherford and Archimedes). Closest mature comparable for Abyom's reusable small-launcher business model and engine IP approach.
• ISRO: India's national space agency operating the PSLV, GSLV, and SSLV launch vehicles. Sets the regulatory and competitive baseline against which Abyom's private, reusable alternative must differentiate for Indian defense and commercial customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abyomspacetech
• Xx.com/AbyomSpaceTech
• Facebookfacebook.com/AbyomSpaceTech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Abyom