Indian spacetech startup SatLeo Labs wants to become the Gulf’s thermometer

Turning Gulf heat into a space wager: Indian spacetech startup SatLeo Labs is in advanced talks with UAE-based Space42 to sell the Emirati government hyperlocal heat maps — down to the street and building level — even before it has launched a single satellite payload.

The company is building a constellation of thermal-imaging satellites and has already signed roughly 15 letters of intent worth a combined USD 42 mn with the likes of Space42, Dubai-based GlobalTech and Intertec, and Australia-based EarthEye Space. None are binding commercial contracts — but they’re an early read on demand ahead of the company’s first launch, slated for 4Q this year.

“What we are doing is building a thermometer for the planet. We are manufacturing satellites that will capture the Earth’s thermal data, which gives you the temperature of the entire system at any point in time,” co-founder and CEO Shravan Bhati tells EnterpriseAM.

SatLeo is wagering that governments across the Gulf will increasingly pay for hyperlocal temperature intelligence as climate adaptation, urban planning, and smart-city investments gather pace.

“The UAE and Saudi Arabia are our first focus markets outside India,” Bhati tells us. SatLeo plans to enter Gulf markets through local partners before establishing offices in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and then expand into Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Egypt.

Cities, not satellites

SatLeo Labs’ satellites will combine dual-band MWIR and LWIR imaging to capture “highly detailed temperature insights across multiple industries.” This capability is powered by edge computing on the satellite itself, allowing us faster data processing and delivery. “Our satellite generates raw data twice a day, which is used for predictions and analytics,” he says.

Founded by Bhati, Ranendu Ghosh, and Urmil Bakhai, SatLeo Labs has raised about USD 5.5 mn across pre-seed and seed funding rounds from investors including Merak Ventures, Unicorn India Ventures, Java Capital, IIMA Ventures, and angel investor Manish Gandhi.

Resolution is the pitch

SatLeo’s satellites map land-surface temperature at 30x30-meter resolution, which Bhati argues is granular enough to tell Gulf city planners which specific street or building cluster is heating fastest, rather than giving them a city-wide average that hides where the real risk sits.

The startup is already testing that proposition in India. SatLeo is working with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to provide urban heat island forecasts and predictive thermal mapping, a project that Bhati says was evaluated by an Indian Space Research Organization committee before deployment. The same technology can help Gulf cities tackle longer heatwaves amid rapid urbanization.

The company’s initial focus in the region will be urban planning and defense, although its thermal intelligence platform also has applications in agriculture, disaster management, and critical infrastructure monitoring.

The timing is deliberate

The UAE has made climate resilience central to its long-term development agenda through its Net Zero 2050 Strategy. The strategy aims to mobilize investments in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and digital technologies to support the country’s net-zero ambitions.Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has launched more than 85 programs and projects under the Saudi Green Initiative.

As governments across the UAE and Saudi Arabia invest in climate adaptation and smarter urban infrastructure, SatLeo is wagering that thermal intelligence will become a foundational layer of city planning.