Constelli, a defense technology company, receives $20 million from General Catalyst and others
Defence Tech Startup Constelli Raises $20 Million Led by General Catalyst
Hyderabad-based defence technology startup Constelli has raised $20 million (around ₹180–190 crore) in a funding round led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm General Catalyst. The round also saw participation from 360 One Asset Management and existing investor Pravega Ventures.
The company’s cofounder and CEO Satya Gopal Panigrahi said the fresh capital will be used to accelerate product research and development for next-generation electronic warfare and communication payloads across multiple platforms, including drones, ground systems, naval vessels and satellites.
Constelli also plans to build infrastructure for rapid prototyping and early-stage production to speed up deployment of field-ready defence systems.
Founded in 2017 by Panigrahi and Avinash Chenreddy, Constelli develops electronic intelligence and signal processing systems. The startup began as a software-focused company but has expanded into hardware capabilities and has supplied defence sub-systems over the past four to five years. It is now transitioning into a full-systems defence technology player.
“When we started Constelli, the intention was to build a global technology company from India,” Panigrahi said, adding that India historically depended heavily on imports for high-end systems such as surveillance, radar and electronic warfare technologies.
“We realised that India needed indigenous capability in this space. The idea was to develop high-end technology from India not just for domestic use, but products that can compete globally,” he said.
While India remains a key market, the company has also exported to countries such as Singapore, Australia and South Korea. Panigrahi added that the startup designs both hardware and software in-house, with a strong focus on miniaturisation, and claims that some of its prototypes are among the smallest in their categories in the Indian market.
The funding comes at a time when defence technology startups in India are attracting increasing investment, supported by government policies encouraging local manufacturing and procurement. Initiatives such as Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan have pushed for greater domestic defence production.
India’s defence spending has also continued to rise. The government allocated ₹7.84 lakh crore to the defence ministry for 2026–27, up from ₹6.81 lakh crore in the current financial year.
According to data from Tracxn, defence-tech startups recorded $247 million in funding in 2025, the highest annual inflow so far, taking the total funding in the sector to $711 million over the past decade.
One of the largest deals in the segment last year was a $100 million funding round for drone maker Raphe mPhibr, which was also led by General Catalyst.
Neeraj Arora, managing director and CEO for India and MENA at General Catalyst, said Constelli represents the indigenous innovation required to strengthen India’s strategic resilience in AI-led defence technology and electronic warfare.
The investments in Constelli and Raphe mPhibr are part of General Catalyst’s “global resilience” investment thesis, through which the firm backs startups that enhance national capabilities in areas such as defence, manufacturing, healthcare and supply chains.
Globally, General Catalyst has also backed defence technology companies such as Anduril Industries, founded by Palmer Luckey, along with European defence firm Helsing and missile startup Castellion, founded by former SpaceX engineers.
