Techstars-backed Catalyx Space is Building the Next Era of Orbital Logistics

Catalyx Space, a space infrastructure company providing turnkey solutions for orbital missions across industries, led by Rifath Shaarook, Clinton Antony, Keerthan Chand Aluvala, Saqib Hussain, Niharika Naveen, and Thaneem Rayan, has secured $5.4 million in seed funding led by venture capital firm Outlander VC, with participation from Arka Venture Labs, Lex Reddy, KDX Management LLC, Together Fund, Higher Life Ventures, Nivesha Ventures, Prana Tech Ventures, Bria, HF0 Residency, and Techstars.

The announcement follows a January $1.7 million pre-Seed round that culminated in a successful capsule drop test within an accelerated six-month timeline. New funding will drive the commercialization of next-generation reentry architecture, strengthen overseas operations, and expand global customer acquisition capabilities.

Space is becoming the next infrastructure layer rather than merely a new frontier, with Catalyx working to make orbit as accessible and programmable as the cloud, a shift poised to unlock entirely new industries. Paige Craig of Outlander VC emphasized this vision as the firm backed the team building the backbone of that transformation.

Rifath’s trajectory reflects a relentless, lifelong drive, from building a first satellite in his teens to guiding Catalyx today, the pursuit of the seemingly impossible has been constant. According to AJ Smith of Outlander VC, few founders demonstrate the speed and precision shown by Rifath and the Catalyx team, whose ability to move from concept to orbit is reshaping expectations for how the space industry builds.

Catalyx was founded in 2024 by Rifath Shaarook, a space veteran who first gained recognition at 18 for designing KalamSat, the world’s lightest satellite. Frustrated by slow development cycles and fragmented infrastructure, he set out to build a faster, more integrated approach to orbital access.

The company aims to accelerate space commercialization by providing rapid, reliable, and affordable access for industries like defense, advanced manufacturing, and biopharma. With the global space infrastructure market projected to rise from $146 billion in 2024 to $308 billion by 2032, Catalyx is positioning itself as a fully integrated, one-stop platform for next-generation space applications.