Temple’s Valuation Jackpot, PhonePe’s FY26 Losses &

What happened

Temple is riding a valuation surge. Deepinder Goyal’s wearable startup is undertaking its first ESOP buyback programme at a valuation of $375 Mn, nearly double its valuation from four months ago. With investor interest running even higher, the liquidity event comes at the perfect time. Unlocking The Value: The valuation bump arrives as external investors are looking to enter the startup’s cap table at an even higher $500 Mn valuation.

Compute In Orbit: Founded in 2023, TakeMe2Space wants to turn satellites into processing units that enable enterprises to process Earth observation data directly in space. Its flagship satellite, MOI-1A, is designed as a flying compute node with onboard 17 TOPS AI processing, multispectral imaging and software that lets customers upload and deploy their own models.

Beyond Imaging: The startup also sells a SaaS tool, called OrbitLab, which lets developers deploy AI models on their orbital workloads without learning space-specific software. While it is yet to put its maiden workload in space, TakeMe2Space already works with the likes of universities, enterprises and AI startups across geographies.

The Indigenous Stack: To fuel its orbital data centre vision, TakeMe2Space has also built a portfolio of proprietary technologies from scratch, spanning satellite hardware, radiation protection, power electronics, thermal management and orbital deployment. It now plans to build low-cost solar cells and optical inter-satellite links – both targeted to become flight-ready by 2027.

Why it matters

By allowing nearly 20 employees to sell up to 25% of their vested ESOPs at a $375 Mn valuation now, the startup is effectively giving them a chance to cash in before a fresh infusion pushes the valuation again. A Well-Timed Strategy? The timing also suggests that Temple is trying to convert market interest into internal momentum.

A higher ESOP valuation, even below the rumored external interest, can help reinforce employee conviction at a stage when the startup is still building towards a commercial launch. In that sense, the buyback could help boost internal morale and retention as much as optics. Goyal’s Temple Run: Temple sits at the intersection of consumer wearables, preventive healthcare and longevity.

Combined with Goyal’s pedigree as the founder of one of the biggest names in the Indian startup ecosystem and his deep pockets, the startup has emerged as one of the most closely watched ventures in the category. Partnerships with manufacturing players like Zetwerk also suggest that Temple is preparing for scale rather than a simple research project.

The Longevity Bet: Temple’s soaring valuation reflects the growing investor confidence in the broader longevity ecosystem. Basic fitness trackers are becoming passé as a new crop of startups like BioPeak and Gabit are building AI-powered sensors and metabolic intelligence to cater to rising demand for personalised health insights and proactive wellness tech. As competition heats up, can Temple justify its soaring valuation momentum?

Let’s find out… Satellites generate vast volumes of imagery, but most of this data still has to travel back to Earth before AI can make sense of it. This creates delays, bandwidth costs and inefficiency for users, who only need a few insights. Enter TakeMe2Space, a startup trying to fix this problem.

What to watch

The Road Ahead: The startup, which has had to deal with a failed PSLV mission earlier this year, now plans to fly again in October aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. It is also raising a $55 Mn Series A round to support a six-satellite constellation and expand its orbital cloud vision. So, can TakeMe2Space build the AWS of space? On the surface, it’s about ordering food.

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