Gaurav SethGaurav is CEO and Cofounder of PierSight. He spent nine years at Indian Space Research Organization developing several SAR applications for EO and multiplanetary missions
Vinit BansalVinit is Cofounder and CTO of PierSight. He brings over nine years of experience in prototyping and commercialization of space and defense tech.
Steffi JosephSteffi manages Operations & Marketing at PierSight. She holds a Master's in Mass Communication from PDEU and a Bachelor's in Commerce. She has gained experience through internships in Public Relations and Content Writing and specialises in media relations, content strategy, and marketing.
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As we close the hatch on the Varuna Mission, 2025 is shaping up to be a launchpad for our next big endeavours—introducing the Drone SAR Project and the MATSYA maritime analytics software.
From testing the limits of space to bringing cutting-edge innovation back down to Earth, this year is all about turning data into decisions and ideas into impact.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, our team is doubling down on developing our next commercial satellite—a mission driven by everything we learned from Varuna and built to push our capabilities even further.
But first, let’s rewind and reflect on our journey so far. Spoiler alert: it’s been out of this world.
Reflecting on the Varuna Mission
The Varuna Mission wasn’t just a step into space— it was a proving ground for our technology in one of the harshest environments imaginable. Launched aboard ISRO’s PSLV C-60, Varuna was designed as a technology demonstrator to validate the performance of our electronics in the harsh environment of space. It wasn’t about capturing images; it was about capturing insights.
Here’s what we accomplished:
- Proving our systems in space - From SAR electronics to the Electronic Power Conditioner (EPC) and Software Defined Radio and Radar (SDRR), every key system was successfully tested and validated.
- Closing the loop - Varuna’s consistent feedback has provided critical insights to refine our technology and prepare for future missions.
- Big results, small package - Varuna’s CubeSAT form factor showcased how compact, miniaturized satellites could perform tasks traditionally done by much larger systems.
- Signals of success - We received a BPSK communication signal from Varuna—proving that the radio systems work flawlessly. As a personal touch, this signal also transmitted the names of all stakeholders who contributed to the mission.
The BPSK signal received from Varuna confirms its radio capabilities while carrying a coded acknowledgment to all who made it possible. This signal transmits the names (top right) of those who propelled Varuna from concept to space: IN-SPACe, ISRO, Techstars, Elevation Capital, Alpha Wave Global, All In Capital, Andreas, Nikunj, Vismay, Gaurav, Sumit, Jonathan, ATIRA, Micropack, National Instruments (NI), Texas Instruments (TI), Microchip, Peninsula, and Ansys. This transmission was our way of expressing gratitude and honoring those who made Varuna possible.
What made Varuna special was not just its success but its purpose: it allowed us to test, learn, and evolve. Its legacy will continue to inform the development of more advanced, application-specific systems in the years to come.
Drone SAR: Taking Innovation to New Heights (Literally)
The next step in our journey is closer to Earth, but just as groundbreaking. Enter Drone SAR: a terrestrial imaging project that takes the tech from Varuna’s twin qualification model and adapts it for drone-mounted SAR imaging.
Why is this a big deal? Here’s the fly-by:
- Spin-off success - Drone SAR is essentially Varuna’s tech in a new avatar, proving that our innovations can adapt to entirely different applications.
- Through the fog, literally - SAR imaging is a game-changer, allowing us to see through clouds, fog, and even dense forests. While Varuna focused on maritime operations, Drone SAR takes it further, offering applications on land, sea, and beyond—from target detection and disaster monitoring to soil moisture analysis and land deformation tracking.
- Testing image processing algorithms - It’s not just about capturing the image but also processing it effectively. With Drone SAR, we’ve proven our image processing capabilities to ensure accurate and actionable insights.
By testing SAR imaging on a drone platform, we’re bridging the gap between space technology and ground-based applications, bringing innovation where it’s needed most.
MATSYA: Diving into Maritime Analytics
On the maritime front, 2025 will also mark the release of MATSYA (Read announcement here), our comprehensive software solution for real-time maritime analytics. MATSYA is built to address critical challenges faced by governments, shipping companies, insurance firms, and NGOs, offering tools to monitor and protect the oceans more effectively.
Key features of MATSYA include:
- Real-time detection and monitoring - The software combines data from SAR, AIS (Automatic Identification System), optical, and terrestrial sources to identify illegal fishing, oil spills, and maritime security threats.
- Actionable insights at your fingertips - With natural language queries, users can ask questions like “What are the latest shipping patterns in this region?” or “What are the fishing patterns in the Arabian Sea?” and receive immediate, data-driven answers.
- A focus on impact - Whether it's helping governments enforce maritime regulations or aiding NGOs in conserving marine ecosystems, MATSYA is the ultimate data-driven navigator.
By turning vast oceans of data into actionable insights, MATSYA ensures that our technology delivers meaningful results to the people and organizations who need it most.
2025: Charting a New Course
With Varuna’s legacy informing every step, Drone SAR soaring to new heights, and MATSYA diving deep into maritime analytics, we’re not just solving problems—we’re defining the possibilities.
But the journey doesn’t end there. Our team is hard at work on our next commercial satellite, bringing us closer to realizing the future of all-weather, real-time and persistent surveillance for the maritime industry.
So, whether it’s testing electronics in space, capturing images through dense foliage, or spotting illegal fishing operations, we’re proving one thing: the same tech can go far, wide, and everywhere in between.
The Varuna Mission may have closed, but with Drone SAR, MATSYA and our next satellite on the horizon, we’re still riding the wave of innovation—and making sure the sky is never the limit.
Written by
Gaurav Seth
Gaurav is CEO and Cofounder of PierSight. He spent nine years at Indian Space Research Organization developing several SAR applications for EO and multiplanetary missions
Written by
Vinit Bansal
Vinit is Cofounder and CTO of PierSight. He brings over nine years of experience in prototyping and commercialization of space and defense tech.
Written by
Steffi Joseph
Steffi manages Operations & Marketing at PierSight. She holds a Master's in Mass Communication from PDEU and a Bachelor's in Commerce. She has gained experience through internships in Public Relations and Content Writing and specialises in media relations, content strategy, and marketing.
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