Congrats to our partners and friends at Lodestar Space. These folks are the real deal and bringing highly capable, fully autonomous, low-cost solutions to the mission-critical space robotics arena.
Congrats team Lodestar Space to closing this £2.5M pre seed round! Off to the (new space) races.
At Inflection.xyz we are committed to pioneer sovereign computation as the biggest leverage for human progress. The space economy will help us provide valuable services from imagery and connectivity on earth all the way to in space semiconductor production, energy harnessing, regulating the earths climate and becoming an interplanetary species in the long run.
Object manipulation is a very present bottleneck for repair, refuelling and other services. As opposed to tele operated robots that come with high latency, connectivity issues, human failure and high costs Lodestar Space is taking a different approach. By leveraging new materials, additive manufacturing and advancements in AI and in-space „edge“ compute capabilities (see our portfolio Cryptosat) they enable autonomous robotics operating in real time and far beyond human precision.
Based on their space specific data set - robots and objects behave very differently at 0 gravity, extreme light conditions and temperatures - new applications and interfaces become possible. Data network effects are expected to accelerate development across verticals.
Read more about the company’s value propositions, team and vision on https://www.lodestar.space
Reach out if you see room for collaboration!
Not everyday you land on the front page of TechCrunch, but today we did, after closing a $2.5m+ pre-seed round to help build and protect the space infrastructure.
The main reason? Urgency and speed of execution.
The blue sticky-note is how I track working days since I joined Lodestar Space and in those two short months, we have:
1. Flew on a 0g flight to demonstrate our technology with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Aurelia Institute
2. Kicked off a partnership with the UK Space Agency
3. Landed a contract with the European Space Agency - ESA
4. Rebuilt and moved into our own production facility
5. Raised over $2.5m in equity round led by Inflection.xyz and Lunar Ventures and a couple of top-tier angel investors
... and a lot more.
If you want to help shape the future of humanity outside of this planet instead of just working on the next SaaS idea, lmk :)
🚀 Big news from Impulse Space! 🚀
Impulse Space has successfully secured a whopping $150 million in Series B funding, led by Founders Fund. This exciting milestone was made possible with the participation of both returning investors, such as Lux Capital and Spring Tide, and new investors like DCVC. A big thanks to additional supporters, including Airbus Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and RTX Ventures, among others. This injection of capital boosts Impulse's total funding to an impressive $225 million.
The funds will play a critical role in expanding the Impulse team and accelerating the production of their Helios and Mira vehicles. This year alone, Impulse has achieved remarkable milestones: a STRATFI award from SpaceWERX, two SBIR awards, the launch of a new GEO Rideshare Program, and the successful completion of the LEO Express-1 mission. As we speak, preparations are underway for the LEO Express-2 mission, featuring the Mira vehicle for deployment services.
Impulse Space continues to innovate with in-house components and high delta-v capabilities, ensuring reliability and efficiency. This new funding solidifies our mission to lead the in-space transportation industry with groundbreaking technologies. A huge shoutout to our dedicated team and supportive investors for believing in our vision to revolutionise space travel. 🌌🚀
#SpaceInnovation#TechFunding#ImpulseSpace
I don't understand their value proposition vs Starlink, OneWeb, or similar.
"Bridgit Mendler is no stranger to reaching millions of people — now she wants to change how satellite data reaches the ground.
A former Disney Channel star and singer — with a filmography including “Good Luck Charlie,” “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “The Clique” — Mendler has spent the past several years studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Law School.
By way of her self-described “engineering household” and time at the Federal Communications Commission’s new Space Bureau, where she “completely fell in love with space law,” Mendler is launching a new career in the space industry as CEO of startup Northwood Space, based in El Segundo, California.
“The vision is a data highway between Earth and space,” Mendler told CNBC. “Space is getting easier along so many different dimensions but still the actual exercise of sending data to and from space is difficult. You have difficulty finding an access point for contacting your satellite.”
Rather than build rockets or satellites, Northwood aims to mass produce ground stations. Also known as teleports, ground stations are the typically large and often circular antennas that connect to satellites in space.
Already, Northwood is attracting high-profile venture investors, with about $6 million in initial funding raised from investors including Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz and Also Capital.
...
Northwood’s name stems from a lake in New Hampshire where Mendler said the idea for the company originated while she was spending time with family during the Covid-19 pandemic.
...
“For me, why the ground-side matters is because it actually is about bringing the impacts of space home to people,” Mendler added.
Cleverly emphasized that the space industry’s growth means there is now a “colossal” amount of data trying to travel to and from satellites.
“We need an approach so that those companies can get the data down reliably and in the quantities that they need,” he told CNBC.
Northwood aims to build satellite ground stations that are designed with fast production and deployment flexibility first in mind. Luthra said Northwood wants to deliver ground stations “within days, not months,” so that satellite operators don’t spend time reconfiguring their networks to properly support what’s happening on Earth.
“If you want a dedicated antenna, you have to wait 18 months to get the antenna delivered, installed and built out for you,” Luthra said.
The startup plans to target services for satellites in low Earth orbit initially, for companies that don’t want to spend the money to build their own ground station networks. Northwood is looking to resolve a bottleneck it sees in shared ground stations making it difficult for customers to find availability on existing teleports.
..."
Exclusive – Bridgit Mendler is adding space CEO to her list of actress, singer, and songwriter.
Introducing Northwood Space, which Mendler cofounded with Griffin Cleverly and Shaurya Luthra, aims to mass produce ground stations and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, and Also Capital.
“The vision is a data highway between Earth and space" Mendler told CNBC.
“For me, why the ground-side matters is because it actually is about bringing the impacts of space home to people."
The Dawn of a New Frontier: Why Did the Commercialization of Space Happen?
"...in recent decades, a shift has occurred - a shift that has slowly seen the reins of space exploration handed from government agencies to commercial enterprises. The commercialization of space is no longer a futuristic dream; it's happening now. But why? What kickstarted this transition from state-controlled missions to entrepreneurial ventures?
The answer lies in a convergence of technological advancements, economic incentives, and visionary leadership..."
READ the Discover Magazine article at 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQtgbM_W#commercialspace
Image caption: The Dawn of a New Frontier: Why Did the Commercialization of Space Happen?
And that's a wrap ! A heartfelt thank you to all the attendees, speakers, and partners who joined us at Novaspace (Merger of Euroconsult & SpaceTec Partners)'s World Space Business Week! Having attended the event for more than 12 years here is my subjective wrap-up of the industry discussions that shaped this week:
🌐 NGSO Market on the Rise: The Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit (NGSO) market is projected to surpass geostationary revenues by 2028, signaling a significant shift in market dynamics and challenges for the value chain as we know it.
🕝 GEO is alive: Legacy manufacturers are catching up with the delays related to the development of their first Software Defined Satellites GEOcomsat but new suppliers are gaining traction with smaller and simpler products.
💲 Ex-Im Bank’s Growing Space Project Pipeline: The Ex-Im Bank's space project pipeline has doubled to $9.5 billion in just one year, reflecting increased financing for U.S. space companies and the comeback of export credit financing.
🎢 Megafactories vs. Microfactories Debate: Megafactories are not one fit for all in a world of agility and customization. Industry pushes towards balancing efficiency with flexibility to meet evolving market needs.
🚀 Scaling Up Launch Rates: Heavy and super heavy launch providers are doubling down on scaling up flight rates of new vehicles to accommodate increasing demand from commercial and government clients. Blue Origin's New Glenn and Starship's next launches are expected within 5 weeks
🛰 Small Launch Vehicles Push Forward: Despite facing market challenges, small launch vehicle companies remain undeterred, focusing on innovation and strategic pivots to keep pace with growing demand. The resilience and adaptability of these companies were a key theme.
We are incredibly grateful to all our delegates and panelist who joined us for this 27th edition. Save the date for next edition starting on September 15th 2025! 🚀✨
#WSBW#Novaspace#SpaceIndustry#Innovation#Partnerships
While the SpaceX, Elon and Mars dominate headlines - the primary beneficiary of the recent technological advancements and innovation within the space industry is our planet.
The paradigm shift in low Earth orbit has only just begun and our understanding of what is happening on Earth and where has never been higher.
Leolabs serves as a core infrastructural enabler to this shift, ensuring space safety, sustainability and operational efficiency.
We're proud to share that we've raised an additional $29M in financing! This latest funding enables us to scale up our insight delivery by further investing in advanced end-user applications and partner integrations.
"With the unprecedented growth of satellites in low Earth orbit, enhanced safety and security solutions are critical. We've built a responsive layer of artificial intelligence algorithms that turn the real-time data collected by our all weather, 24/7 sensor network into continuous and reliable insights for space operators." said LeoLabs CEO Daniel Ceperley. "This investment, led by GP Bullhound, enables us to accelerate this effort by bolstering our data architecture and system software."
Thank you to all of our investors, including GP Bullhound, 1941, Dolby Family Ventures, Insight Partners, Velvet Sea Ventures, Space Capital, MDSV Capital, and the AngelList Syndicate led by Dylan Taylor.
We're on a mission to keep space safe and secure, and are rapidly expanding our global operations and capabilities to meet growing demand.
Over the weekend, I sat on a Space Policy panel with Austin Baker, Brooke Stokes, and Matt Holston at the Harvard Business School - MIT Sloan School of Management Technology & National Security Conference and discussed spectrum, launch, and commercial integration. Here are some highlights from the discussion:
- As space technologies and use cases evolve at a rapid pace, we require regulatory policies and frameworks that are flexible and dynamic enough to adapt to these changes.
- Spectrum is a precious resource and must not be wasted. We must build processes that ensure spectrum can be shared is used efficiently
- In orbit, the lines between commercial and government blur, so both sectors must work together.
- Space policy is a critical concern not just for space companies, but for all industries, given the foundational role of space technologies in enabling terrestrial advancements.
I want to thank Louis McCullagh, Dansil Green, Elizabeth (Liz) Lippie Rimmer, and the entire team for putting together an amazing event!
#venturecapital#defensetech#startups#spectrum#space#spaceindustry#innovation
Exclusive – Bridgit Mendler is adding space CEO to her list of actress, singer, and songwriter.
Introducing Northwood Space, which Mendler cofounded with Griffin Cleverly and Shaurya Luthra, aims to mass produce ground stations and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, and Also Capital.
“The vision is a data highway between Earth and space" Mendler told CNBC.
“For me, why the ground-side matters is because it actually is about bringing the impacts of space home to people."
