Gimbal Space, a startup in America’s space industry, aims to disrupt the supply chain for rockets, satellites, and spacecraft components. Led by founder Dhaval Shiyani, a mechanical engineer with experience scaling complex hardware systems at companies like Tesla and Ethicon, Gimbal is focused on providing cheaper and faster delivery of crucial subsystem components for spacecraft orientation in space. Shiyani’s background in high-volume manufacturing and scaling companies rapidly has equipped him with the expertise needed to tackle the challenges in the space industry’s supply chain.
Shiyani entered the space ecosystem when he joined electric propulsion startup Apollo Fusion, where he successfully took a prototype thruster from the lab to production. He later worked on designing a satellite constellation at Astra and contributed to the development of Earth imaging company Planet’s next-generation imaging satellite. Throughout his time in the space industry, Shiyani observed recurring pain points in parts ordering, including high costs, long lead times, and an overall immaturity in the supply chain. Legacy suppliers often prioritize secondary revenue streams, allowing them to charge premium prices without incentives to deliver quickly or affordably.
Gimbal Space’s initial focus is on the attitude determination and control system (ADCS), a subsystem that requires extreme precision and includes components like star trackers, reaction wheels, and torque rods. The company plans to expand its offerings to include other ADCS components such as magnetometers, sun sensors, and rate sensors. Currently, the North American market for ADCS components is fairly fragmented, with suppliers specializing in different sizes of components.
One of the main challenges in the supply chain is the lack of competition among suppliers, leading to limited price reductions. Additionally, lead times for components can be months or even years, making it difficult for startups to manage costs and maintain a reasonable burn rate. Gimbal aims to address these challenges by delivering components in half the time and at prices that are 25-30% lower than legacy suppliers. To achieve this, the company plans to shift some manufacturing operations to India, where they have already identified a reliable manufacturing partner. In the short term, Gimbal will utilize contract manufacturing in both India and the U.S., with the long-term goal of establishing its own manufacturing capabilities.
The company has raised $1.2 million in funding, led by Abu Dhabi-based AUM Ventures, with participation from Shakti VC, Z21 Ventures, and others. This funding will be used to put Gimbal’s components into orbit for the first time, either on customer spacecraft or on a demo flight to showcase functionality. The team will also expand, and manufacturing capabilities will be built out. Gimbal aims to have the components ready by the end of the year, with the first flight occurring shortly after.
By addressing the pain points in the space industry’s supply chain, Gimbal Space aims to revolutionize the way components are delivered for rockets, satellites, and spacecraft. With its focus on cheaper and faster delivery, the startup is poised to make a significant impact in the space industry and contribute to the growth and innovation of space exploration.