LA Hard Tech Spotlight: Sift
Software for real-time hardware data observability
Our last couple of spotlights have focused on software platforms meeting the challenge of providing better tools for hardware development operations and manufacturing execution. Rounding out this trilogy of software-for-hardware rising stars in the LA Hard Tech ecosystem, we’re going to talk about a company transforming the data infrastructure stack for real-time data in hardware systems.
Introducing Sift
CEO & Key People: Karthik Gollapudi, Austin Spiegel
Founded: 2022
El Segundo, CA
Developer of telemetry operations software and data observability platform to enhance real-time anomaly detection and accelerate tool and process integrations.
Sift is transforming the world of real-time data with a new observability stack for telemetry. They help companies collect and process real-time data from sensors and components deployed to hardware.
Telemetry data management is a problem in complex hardware development. Mismanaged testing and development of embedded software can lead to catastrophes in high-stakes environments like spacecraft maneuvers, weapons deployment, and nuclear reactor operations.
For example, Boeing’s Starliner demo mission in 2019 failed to rendezvous with the ISS due to software anomalies. The bugs caused the spacecraft to burn to an incorrect orbital trajectory, reportedly costing the company hundreds of millions. But successful deployment of software and well-executed telemetry management can result in wonders of engineering.
Sift’s platform relieves burdensome software testing responsibilities, giving the broader hardware community tools to accelerate development time and reduce catastrophes. The platform includes observability tools covering data visualization, code-free automated review and insights, instant report generation for telemetry data, and a data pipeline product specifically built to handle data retrieval and consolidate data stores.
Founders Karthik Gollapudi and Austin Spiegel bring experience with these tools from SpaceX. They built flight software for the Dragon spacecraft and telemetry tools for Starlink, so they are no strangers to critical telemetry and data review tools. They also know how to deliver mission success. When they saw organizations struggling to manage these tools, they knew they had to build a better system for the rest of the industry. We’ve heard this story before from ex-SpaceX engineers.
Founded in 2022, Sift is well-armed and moving fast to deliver on its vision. They recently closed a $17.5M Series A led by GV, following a seed round only a year ago from LA-based funds Riot Ventures and Fika Ventures. They serve a number of high-profile hard tech customers, including Astranis, Astrolab, Mach Industries, Parallel Systems, and more, with their promise to accelerate innovation and reliability for all.
Q&A with CEO, Karthik Gollapudi
What had to be true so Sift could exist? Why now?
The rise of IT monitoring tools created a blind spot in hardware observability. As industries poured resources into tracking application performance, the tools for managing complex hardware systems stagnated. This gap became critical as hardware complexity in aerospace, autonomous vehicles, and other sectors skyrocketed. Sift emerged to bridge this divide, offering a solution built for the intricate needs of modern hardware systems.
How will the world change when you succeed?
When Sift succeeds, we'll see a paradigm shift in how complex machines are built and operated. Engineers will have unprecedented insight into their systems, catching potential failures before they occur. This will accelerate product cycles, reduce costs, and most importantly, enhance safety across industries. We're not just improving efficiency; we're enabling the next generation of technological breakthroughs by giving engineers the tools to push boundaries confidently.
What has been harder than you expected about building Sift?
Introducing a new paradigm in a well-established industry has been our biggest challenge. The industries we sell into have deep-rooted practices and systems in place. We've learned that demonstrating the value of a new approach requires patience, clear communication, and a willingness to collaborate closely with potential customers.
Another unexpected hurdle has been building our team. We're looking for a unique blend of skills: deep expertise in mission-critical systems combined with the agility and mindset of a startup. This intersection of talents is rare, and cultivating a culture that nurtures both aspects has been a complex but rewarding journey.
These challenges have pushed us to be more creative and adaptable. They've also reinforced the importance of our mission, as we work to create tools that complement and enhance existing workflows.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started Sift?
When we started Sift, we knew we had the experience to tackle technical challenges. We anticipated the engineering hurdles, but we didn’t account for how demanding it would be to build a go-to-market strategy and team — it’s every bit as complex, especially when you factor in the human element.
For technical challenges, you can check off every box, solve every edge case, and prove it works. But when you’re introducing something completely new, especially in a deeply entrenched industry, you’re dealing with people’s emotions. People who have their own processes, biases, and a lot at stake in trying something different. It’s not just about showing them that the technology works — it’s about creating those “a-ha” moments where they truly see the value in their world, for their specific challenges. We had to learn that, the human aspect of bringing a new solution to market takes time, and sometimes that’s the harder battle. Getting the market to embrace a new approach requires great engineering — but it also requires empathy, storytelling, and patience. Those are muscles we’ve had to build along the way.
What motivates you to build this company every day?
The potential to reshape the future of technology drives us. At SpaceX, we saw how the right tools could transform an industry. With Sift, we're taking that vision further — we're not just improving one company, we're supercharging multiple sectors.
Today's engineers are building machines of mind-bending complexity – from reusable rockets to autonomous cars. But the tools to develop and operate these marvels are stuck in the past. That's the gap Sift is filling. We're creating an observability platform that turns torrents of machine data into actionable insights.
Every day, we're pushing the boundaries of what's possible, and we're working to create a future where progress is limited only by imagination, not tools. Whether it’s tackling climate change or launching humanity to Mars, Sift will be woven into the fabric of these groundbreaking achievements.
Why is LA the right place for you to build your business?
El Segundo, in Los Angeles' South Bay, is like the modern-day Florence of hard tech, where the next generation of modern machines is being built. This area has been pivotal in advancing aviation and space technology for decades. It's where we honed our skills at SpaceX, grappling with the complex challenges of frontier engineering.
Our location provides unparalleled access to customers and a rich talent pool. In fact, our first office was within a customer's facility, allowing us to deeply embed ourselves in their day-to-day operations. This level of proximity and collaboration is unique to the ecosystem here, where the lines between customer and partner often blur. It's enabled us to gather immediate feedback and truly understand the challenges we're solving.
Behind every successful person there are people who play or have played significant roles in making it happen. Who’s one person who has helped you get to this point? How have they helped?
Austin and I complement each other perfectly, and I couldn’t have done this without him. His ability to build scalable data infrastructure and solve complex technical challenges has been the backbone of everything we’ve done at Sift. For example, his work on our schema agnostic data ingestion system — which can ingest data from any subsystem with minimal configuration — was a breakthrough that allowed us to manage data at scale in a way that hadn't been seen before.
At the same time, Austin trusted my focus on the customer side — on understanding user pain points and designing solutions that fit real-world needs. This dynamic, where we each bring our own strengths, has allowed Sift to grow into a platform that not only works technically but also resonates with the engineers who use it.
This dynamic was clear when we sold into Astranis. Their application software team resonated with Austin’s technical expertise, while the flight software engineers connected with my deep understanding of user pain points. Our combination of technical pedigree and user empathy set us apart and made us the right fit.
We’ve been able to push boundaries because we complement each other so well, and I couldn’t have done this without him.
Thank you to Karthik and Austin for spending time with us! This team is doing a lot for the LA hard tech community with both their product and their community building.
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