Apolink

Apolink is a space-tech startup, founded in 2024 by Onkar Singh Batra and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, that is developing a satellite relay network to provide continuous, real-time connectivity for satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). The company, formerly known as Bifrost Orbital, aims to solve the problem of satellite 'dead zones,' which are periods when LEO satellites are out of sight of ground stations and cannot transmit or receive data.

Founder Onkar Singh Batra developed an interest in space at age 14 and created India's first open-source satellite, InQube, in 2022 while in high school. This experience, along with his time as a guest professor at IIT Jammu, highlighted the significant connectivity challenges and lack of hardware-agnostic solutions in the LEO satellite market, which inspired the creation of Apolink.

The company's core service is a planned constellation of 32 satellites that will use a hybrid communication architecture, combining radio-frequency (RF) and optical inter-satellite links. This approach is designed to be hardware-independent, enabling connectivity for a wide range of satellites without requiring specific onboard terminals. Apolink aims to provide approximately 99% uptime with an initial latency of 10-15 seconds, which is expected to decrease to 2-3 seconds once the network is fully deployed. The business model targets commercial and governmental satellite operators in sectors such as Earth observation, communications, and spatial data. The company has already secured over $140 million in letters of intent from clients including Astro Digital and Hubble Network.

In July 2025, Apolink, backed by Y Combinator, raised $4.3 million in a seed funding round at a $45 million post-money valuation. Key investors include 468 Capital, Unshackled Ventures, Rebel Fund, and Maiora Ventures. The company plans its first demonstration mission on a SpaceX rideshare in 2026, with a second demo in 2027 and a full commercial rollout of the constellation anticipated by 2029.

Keywords: satellite relay network, low Earth orbit, LEO connectivity, space-tech, inter-satellite links, real-time satellite communication, hybrid RF-optical, satellite dead zones, Onkar Singh Batra, Y Combinator, satellite constellation, space communications, data relay, Earth observation, mission operations