QOSMIC swapped quantum satellites for optical ground stations at $1/GB (interview)

Bengaluru spacetech startup, founded in 2025, building optical ground stations that receive laser signals from satellites.

A network of owned optical ground stations, billed per gigabyte, can undercut radio ground stations by moving far more data per satellite pass.

$3.33M from Accel, Prosus, South Park Commons, Art Garage and angel investors.

Jain began at the Indian Institute of Science building satellites for private missions and had worked on quantum computing hardware. With Prof. Aloke Kumar and Rohit Ramakrishnan, who built an early quantum satellite in Singapore, he first planned quantum-communication satellites.

The founders found that operators were not asking for quantum-secure links but badly needed optical infrastructure, since both use precision lasers and optical terminals. 'Nobody really wants quantum communication,' Jain said, 'but everybody wants the infrastructure that enables quantum communication.'

QOSMIC now develops optical ground stations. It is pre-revenue, claims TRL 6 after a 10 km terrestrial test, and is signing a first commercial collaboration with orbital-data-centre startup TakeMeToSpace, with an in-orbit demonstration planned over the coming year.

Satellite data volumes are rising while radio downlinks retrieve only a fraction before a satellite passes out of range.

Quantum and optical communication share the same laser hardware, so optical ground infrastructure served the immediate demand.

Jain said owning the stations and charging per GB gives recurring revenue, rather than one-time hardware margins.

The founders kept the hardware they knew, lasers and precision optics, and moved to the layer customers needed now, leaving quantum for later.

As of 28 July 2026, QOSMIC was pre-revenue, working toward an in-space demonstration and a first commercial collaboration, and expected to build partnerships with international ground-station operators for global coverage.