Facts

• Segment: Defense
• Country: United States
• Founded: 2016
• Website: https://gitai.tech/

Profile sections

• Summary
• Market context
• Products
• Facts
• Funding
• Investors
• Commercial
• Context / Market Position
• Events
• Team
• Relationships
• Context tags
• Customers and deployments
• Sources

Summary

GITAI develops space robotics and in-house spacecraft systems for orbital servicing, lunar construction and defense-focused LEO infrastructure. Its S3 robotic satellite combines a servicing spacecraft, robotic arm, vision software and autonomous rendezvous/docking technologies.

Market context

GITAI builds robotic arms, autonomous docking software and robotic spacecraft for on-orbit servicing, controlled deorbit operations and space infrastructure missions.

Products

• Inchworm Space Robot
• Lunar Rover Manipulator
• S1 Space Robot

Facts

• Website: https://gitai.tech/
• HQ: Torrance, California, United States
• Founded: 2016
• Segment: Defense
• Known funding rounds: 1

Funding

• 2024-11-13 - Series B extension - $16M - GITAI raises additional $15.5M in Series B Extension - source: gitai.tech

Investors

• Maezawa Fund - Lead - Vc - 1 funding event - first seen 2024-11-13

Commercial

1 commercial event; 1 contract award; 1 named customer; $151B disclosed ceiling value; latest event 2025-12-23

• 2025-12-23 - Contract award - GITAI Awarded Contract Under MDA SHIELD Program - Missile Defense Agency - MDA SHIELD - $151B ceiling - source: gitai.tech

Space robotics company developing autonomous robotic systems for in-orbit services, lunar…

GITAI is a space robotics company (HQd US, founded by Sho Nakanose) developing autonomous robotic systems for space station support, in-space assembly, satellite servicing, and lunar infrastructure construction. The company has demonstrated robotic arm operations both inside and outside the ISS (2021-2024) and has contracts with DARPA, NASA-adjacent programs, Toyota, JAXA, and major US space companies. GITAI operates across three business lines: on-orbit services, satellite robotics, and lunar exploration.

• Target environment: International Space Station, commercial space stations, lunar surface, satellite orbits (LEO, GEO), cislunar space, and ultimately Mars infrastructure.
• Deployment model: Direct contracts with space agencies and defense customers, service-based revenue for in-orbit tasks, and product sales of robotic systems for satellite and lunar applications.
• Customer context: Space agencies (NASA, JAXA), defense organizations (DARPA), commercial space station operators, satellite operators, lunar exploration programs, and aerospace manufacturers seeking space-grade autonomo…
• Workflow context: In-orbit assembly and construction, satellite servicing and life extension, intra-vehicular station support, extra-vehicular operations, lunar surface construction and infrastructure deployment.
• Commercial maturity: Successful ISS demonstrations (internal 2021, external 2024). DARPA and JAXA contracts. Series B funding. Shifting HQ to US for defense and commercial space market access. One of very few companies…
• Market position: World-leading independent space robotics startup. Competes indirectly with government/military robotic arms (Canadarm, etc.) and aerospace primes, providing lower-cost autonomous alternatives.
• Adoption constraints: Space-qualification reliability, radiation tolerance, microgravity operation, cost reduction against human crew operations, competition from aerospace primes entering robotics.
• Adjacent context: Space robotics, in-orbit servicing, lunar robotics, autonomous manipulation, space infrastructure, satellite servicing.
• Source confidence: medium

Events

• 2026-06-16 - Production Milestone - GITAI completes S3 robotic satellite flight model - The S3 mission includes a robotic servicing satellite, advanced robotic arm and target satellite for on-orbit servicing demonstrati…
• 2026-01-27 - Demonstration - Gitai demonstrates humanoid rover drilling and unloading in lunar simulation - GITAI demonstrated humanoid rover drilling and cargo unloading in a lunar simulation setting.
• 2025-12-23 - Contract Award - GITAI Awarded Contract Under MDA SHIELD Program - • GITAI USA Inc. announced on December 23, 2025, that it was awarded a contract under the Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD IDIQ program.
• 2024-12-21 - Demonstration - GITAI's 16U CubeSat SC1 Successfully Launched and Operated - • GITAI launched its in-house developed 16U CubeSat, SC1, into low Earth orbit aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 on December 21, 2024, at…
• 2024-12-21 - Market Signal - GITAI's SC1 satellite deploys in orbit, transmits first telemetry - • GITAI launched its in-house developed 16U-sized SC1 satellite into low Earth orbit aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 on December…
• 2024-11-13 - Funding - GITAI raises additional $15.5M in Series B Extension - • GITAI raised an additional US$15.5 million in October 2024 as part of its Series B Extension round.
• 2024-05-14 - Regulatory - GITAI receives AS9100:2016 certification for aerospace quality management - GITAI received AS9100:2016 certification, enhancing its aerospace quality management capabilities.
• 2024-03-05 - Demonstration - GITAI's rover autonomously assembles 5-meter tower in desert - • GITAI's Lunar Rover and three Inchworm robots autonomously constructed a 5-meter communication tower in a desert environment…

Team

• Sho Nakanose - Founder and CEO - He leads GITAI in building space robotics systems for orbital servicing, lunar operations and defense-focused LEO infrastructure.
• Toyotaka Kozuki - Chief Technology Officer
• Yuto Nakanishi - CRO

Relationships

• space robotics contractor - GITAI was selected under the MDA SHIELD IDIQ program for space robotics work.

Context tags

• Lunar robotic operations - Workflow
• Space robotics builder - Peer Group - GITAI builds robotic spacecraft, robotic arms and space robotics systems.
• Space robotic manipulation - Capability - The S3 satellite includes an advanced robotic arm for on-orbit servicing demonstrations.
• Space robotics OEM - Stack Layer
• Lunar space robotics builder - Peer Group
• Orbital robotics operations - Workflow
• Space infrastructure operations - Customer Environment - GITAI frames S3 around on-orbit servicing, deorbit and defense-focused LEO infrastructure.
• Research labs - Customer Environment

Customers and deployments

• Flight Model Count - 1 S3 robotic satellite flight model - 2026-06-16 - United States / orbit demonstration program - GITAI completed the flight model of its S3 robotic satellite for on-orbit servicing demonstration wor…
• Idiq Ceiling Value Usd - $1.51 billion SHIELD IDIQ program - 2025-12-23 - Missile Defense Agency - space / defense robotics - GITAI was awarded a contract under the Missile Defense Agency SHIELD IDIQ program. - source p…