?Hyderabad: Defence technology startup Constelli has raised $20 million (about ₹180 crore) in a funding round led by General Catalyst, with participation from 360 ONE Asset Management and existing investor Pravega Ventures.
The raise gives Constelli fresh firepower at a moment when India’s defence ecosystem is pushing faster product cycles and stronger domestic capability. For the startup, the message is straightforward: build deeper, build quicker, and get field-ready systems out the door sooner.
Where the money will go?
Constelli says the new capital will be used to accelerate product research and development around next-generation electronic warfare (EW) and communication payloads. These payloads are being designed to work across multiple platforms, including drones, ground systems, naval vessels, and satellites.
Alongside R&D, the company plans to set up infrastructure for rapid prototyping and early-stage production, a move aimed at shortening the gap between lab development and deployment of systems that are ready for field conditions.
A quick look at Constelli’s background
Founded in 2017 by Satya Gopal Panigrahi and Avinash Chenreddy, Constelli works on advanced signal processing solutions and engineering tools used in the design, development, and testing of critical aerospace and defence systems.
It uses a mix of modern hardware-software approaches and leans on modelling, simulation, and distributed computing to strengthen technical capability and reduce development timelines.
The company says its products are used by organisations globally building radar and electronic warfare systems. In India, it works with the Ministry of Defence and DRDO, and also with defence contractors in South Korea, Australia and Singapore.
Constelli had earlier raised $3 million in a pre-Series A round in January last year, led by Pravega Ventures.
The funding comes as India increases defence spending. Union Budget allocation to the Defence Ministry for 2026-27 at ₹7.84 lakh crore, compared with ₹6.81 lakh crore in the current financial year.
In the broader defense tech and related hardware space, other companies that have been named as competitors include NewSpace Research & Technologies, ideaForge, and Garuda Aerospace, a reminder that the space is heating up and that the line between competitors and collaborators is increasingly blurred.
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