Vellon Space, a space tech start-up specialising in unmanned space laboratories and microgravity research for biotech industry, has been acquired by New York-based Helogen Corporation, a space biology and infrastructure company. The terms of the deal could not be ascertained but sources said that the outcome is strong for Vellon Space and its investors and also marks Helogen’s entry into India.
With the acquisition, Vellon Space will become Helogen’s operations in India. Vellon Space founder and CEO Kumar will assume the role of Helogen’s VP Mission Development for Middle East & Asia-Pacific.
Incorporated in Madurai but with operations in Bengaluru, Vellon Space is building the technology needed to undertake bio pharma and other research in unmanned space laboratories. The start-up already has early collaborations with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), IITs, and other Indian research institutions, and focuses on advancing biomanufacturing in space and contributing to India’s growing ambitions in space science, including ISRO’s planned Bharatiya Antariksha Station.
Helogen, by this acquisition, seeks to leverage Vellon’s local expertise and collaborations with ISRO, Indian Institutes of Technology, and other leading research institutions. Helogen now gets an opportunity to offer its advanced orbital biomanufacturing and drug development technologies to a new wave of Indian researchers and companies.
In a boost for R&D efforts of Indian institutions, in the short term, Helogen also plans to equip higher education and research institutions across India with access to space-based experimentation. In the long term, Helogen envisions becoming an instrumentation and science mission partner for ISRO with the space agency having its ambitious plans of Bharatiya Antariksha Station, targeted for launch around 2035.
Helogen’s autonomous orbital laboratories are equipped with tech that bring full capabilities of a modern bio lab to space, including systems for biomanufacturing, analysis, and genomic sequencing. These have the potential to reduce drug development timelines by 12 to 24 months, Helogen claims. Helogen achieved its first launch in 2023 and has since partnered with numerous biotech institutions worldwide.
Vellon Space CEO Kumar said that Helogen’s orbital biolab technology has the potential to radically transform how materials are manufactured for space and it can accelerate the development of next-generation medicines and advanced structures. “We essentially have a strong foundation in microgravity research and had already partnered with marquee institutions like the IIT-Madras and now with Helogen’s advanced capabilities in this area, the resulting entity will scale faster,” he told businessline.
Shishir Bankapur, CEO of Helogen, said in a statement: “With India’s biopharma sector poised to become one of the largest and most innovative in the world, we are proud to help power this transformation. By joining forces with Vellon Space and building on their deep roots in India’s space and research ecosystem, we are setting the foundation for a new era — one where space is not just the next frontier, but an everyday laboratory for life-changing innovation.”