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- Sift, from former SpaceX engineers, raises $7.5M
Sift, from former SpaceX engineers, raises $7.5M
Sift, a promising startup conceptualized by two ex-SpaceX engineers, is changing the world of telemetry with its comprehensive, user-friendly, and cost-effective solution. Telemetry, which involves the real-time collection of critical machine performance data, is a pivotal component of the software stack that supports superior hardware.
Setting the Stage: Sift was brought to life in the heart of Los Angeles in 2022 by Austin Spiegel and Karthik Gollapudi, who were inspired by the impressive internal software tools, including telemetry, that significantly contribute to SpaceX's achievements.
The Founders' Journey: Spiegel, with an experience of approximately five years at SpaceX, has worked on various internal tools such as manufacturing systems, test automation systems, and the telemetry system for Starlink. Gollapudi, a four-year veteran of SpaceX, led the flight software operations team for the Dragon spacecraft. The failure of Boeing's Starliner OFT-1 demo mission in 2019 highlighted to them the crucial role of telemetry, shifting their focus towards developing a comprehensive solution.
Investor Confidence: Sift's innovative approach has attracted significant funding, securing $7.5M to further develop its product.
Investor List: This investment round saw participation from leading hardware investor Riot Ventures, enterprise SaaS investor Fika Ventures, and others such as First Resonance, Datum, and Duro, with the first cheque coming from Earthrise Ventures, initiated by ex-SpaceXer Scott Norman.
Sift's Three-Pillar Telemetry Stack: The Sift telemetry stack comprises three essential components - storage, real-time analytics, and visualization, crucial in accelerating hardware development. The stack allows for time-aligned data analysis around specific events, embedding rules and logic related to machine behavior, and uses object storage, a cost-effective data storage method.
Sift's team, at present composed of 10 engineers, plans to double in size over the coming year.
The system is already in use by an array of paying customers across diverse industries, including the autonomous electric train company Parallel Systems, another startup formulated by a group of ex-SpaceXers.