StarDetect, a Chinese commercial enterprise, has successfully secured early-stage funding to bolster its position as a solutions provider in space domain awareness (SDA) and satellite computing. The company specializes in satellite payloads equipped with edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and real-time on-orbit processing functionalities.
In late September, StarDetect announced its Series A1 and A2 funding rounds, accumulating over 100 million yuan ($13.8 million). The investments were spearheaded by Wuxi Innovation Investment Group, Yicun Capital, Jiangyin Talent Science and Innovation Angel Fund, and Jiangyin High-tech Industry Investment Management, among other investors. While Yicun Capital appears to be a private investment firm, the remaining investors are state-led or local government investment entities.
According to StarDetect, the newly acquired capital will be channeled towards business expansion within the Yangtze River Delta region, research and development of product technology, mass production, and expansion into emerging application scenarios. The company intends to collaborate with industry partners to validate innovative space-based intelligent application scenarios, encompassing satellite communication optimization, onboard mission planning, space domain awareness (SDA), and space computing.
Established in 2020, StarDetect boasts a core team of graduates from Tsinghua University and is dedicated to satellite intelligence and facilitating efficient aerospace information services. The company asserts that it has over 20 payloads in stable operational status in orbit, with its products supporting numerous commercial satellite constellations.
StarDetect plans to provide services and products that combine event cameras with onboard computing and AI algorithms to deliver SDA solutions. Event cameras, also known as dynamic vision sensors, differ from conventional frame-based cameras by detecting only changes in brightness at each pixel instead of capturing complete images at regular intervals. This approach enables them to operate with microsecond-level temporal resolution, high dynamic range, and low data volume.
For SDA purposes, event cameras are adept at detecting and tracking fast-moving or faint objects, such as small debris or satellites, against the dark and cluttered backdrop of space with greater efficiency than conventional optical sensors. This contrasts with frame-based optical cameras used for satellite-to-satellite imaging, or non-Earth imaging – as exemplified by HEO and China's Jilin-1 constellation – which employ dynamic vision sensors to detect and track motion or unusual behavior rather than capturing images.
StarDetect aims to offer these solutions at a time when China is developing its own megaconstellations and commercial satellite projects, amidst broader global growth of spacecraft in low Earth orbit. Its on-orbit data processing capabilities could also reduce the need for clients to download substantial quantities of raw data. Other Chinese companies are also formulating plans for on-orbit SDA capabilities. Geovis Insighter Technology Co. Ltd, for example, intends to establish a constellation of 144 SDA satellites, with two experimental satellites scheduled for launch in April 2026, followed by 12 additional SSA satellites by the end of that year.
In contrast to larger firms like Geovis Insighter, which concentrate on complete constellations and ground-segment integration, StarDetect is prioritizing low-cost, intelligent payloads capable of real-time onboard processing. It has been previously reported that China is developing a reliance on space-based SDA due to its limited global ground sensor network, which is restricted by political considerations.
This development also underscores the increasing diversity of participants in China's vibrant commercial space sector. According to the company "it will work with industry partners to verify new space-based intelligent application scenarios, including satellite communication optimization, onboard mission planning, space domain awareness (SDA) and space computing".