💥 Spacebound 🚀
There are investible opportunities in Spacetech for capital allocators with shorter term horizons and lower risk profiles as well as those prepared for multi-year deep tech product development. 🛰🛫🗺
Spacetech commercial market opportunities outsize the traditional government based markets with the added benefit of qualifying for dual use and associated grants and multi-year government contracts. There are software and platform solutions as well as hardtech solutions.
Matt Kozlov and his Techstars LA team orchestrated a fun and informative Spacetech Demo Day recently hosted by Google Cloud in partnership with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, US Space Force Enterprise Talent Management Office and J.P. Morgan.
Common themes of founders pitching addressed quantum computing security vulnerabilities, the inefficiency of data transmission from space to earth, better satellite image capture, spacecraft that can take-off and land from regular airports, and other critical space-earth transportation and communication management needs including protection against anti-satellite attacks.
PRESENTING STARTUPS
Software and Platform Solutions
Santa Clara, CA based ColliMate Space CEO Guillermo Jenaro previewed his AI/ML operations software platform to manage ground and space assets cheaper, faster, and more intelligently. ColliMate Space already has 6 enterprise customers and is partnering with NASA JPL to refine and execute its solution.
Cupertino, CA based SkyServe CEO Vinay Simha presented a software suite and sensor agnostic edge computing platform that enables Edge AI models to run onboard satellite to generate real-time insights.
Australia based VXB Aerospace CEO Alexander Ryan described his Gen AI design platform to speed up the design time for electromagnetic space hardware like propulsion.
Hardtech Solutions
San Francisco based Aptos Orbital Co-Founder Yonatan Winetraub introduced his all-in-one AI and persistent comms low-SWAP device for satellites. This solution combines space-hardened processors for running AI, persistent comms for real-time intelligence, and cloud integration so satellites can become orbital nodes for existing applications. The Aptos device is operating in 3 units in space without orbital processing failure. Current customers range from startups to global companies and government agencies.
UK based Astron Systems CEO Eddie Brown presented his vision for a reusable two stage vertically launched rocket to transform small satellite launch, medium duration microgravity, and return services. Its proprietary rocket Aurora will launch small satellites for lower cost than SpaceX’s Starship with the added benefit of taking the smallsats precisely where they want to go, when they want to go there.
Huntsville, Alabama based ATRX CEO Felix Bustos III and his ex-Virgin Orbit co-founders are building the first horizontal launch, single stage to orbit space plane that can take off and land on any runway in the world.
India-based catalyx space CEO Rifath Shaarook presented his company’s solution to simplify space access with lower cost end-to-end services with no minimum mass restrictions and deployment within 6 months. Catalyx cateres to biotech, material science, and defense sectors with unmanned labs, testbeds for dedicated and rideshare missions, and re-entry capsules for payload retrieval.
MIT based Mithril Technologies, Inc. CEO Scarlett Koller represents the tip of the iceberg of women tech innovators. Mithril’s solution is a space-based reflector with active surface correction and shaping on orbit. Mithril is anticipated to improve the flexibility of satellite communications and global intelligence capabilities. Its developing technology allows dramatic improvement in atmospheric monitoring for climate resilience across industries.
India based Pramatra Space CEO Richa Hukumchand offers a better encryption solution to address the existing vulnerabilities in encrypted data transfer arising from Gen AI and quantum computing. Pramatra Space is building satellites to distribute quantum keys to enterprises to shield sensitive and critical data.
Bellevue, WA Pulse Space CEO Karl Stedman explained his solution for scalable on-demand power and space situational awareness services in orbit.
Chicago, IL based reOrbital CEO Steven Shumsky is building bolt-on satellite defense systems for emerging threats to commercial and military satellites.
Australia based Spiral Blue CEO Taofiq Huq is launching a constellation of LiDAR satellites to provide detailed situational awareness within forests anywhere on Earth. Data collection has applications for urban planning, disaster management, coast erosion management, agriculture, carbon accounting, and others. Spiral’s patented LiDAR tech builds on their Space Edge Computer, of which 9 are in orbit to date.
Good stuff, Spacetech innovators! 🚀 👽