Starbridge Weekly Update for the week ending 1/25/2021

SpaceX flew two significant missions this week. The first was a deployment of Starlink satellites in polar orbit, a first for the Starlink constellation and a topic of some concern within the FAA. The second was the first launch of SpaceX’s rideshare program, Transporter-1, with 143 satellites. SpaceX did confirm that the Starlink satellites on the Transporter-1 launch were the first to have laser inter-satellite relay links. 

SpaceX also quietly purchased two oil rigs with the apparent intent of using them as Starship launch/landing platforms. This suggests that the company is hedging against the FAA’s new environmental review of their operations at Boca Chica. Offshore launch and landing were also included in many of SpaceX’s imagery for its point-to-point service. 

In the reading political tea leaves department, President Biden announced several appointments within the Office for Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and specifically elevated OSTP to a Cabinet-level position. The President also appointed MIT Vice President for Research Maria Zuber, a planetary scientist who led efforts to map the surfaces of the moon and Mars, and Nobel chemistry laureate Frances Arnold, a pioneer in synthesizing artificial proteins, to head the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. 

In financial news, Google has, as expected, shutdown Loon, it’s high altitude balloon-based wireless communications division.  Few consider this to be an indictment of the general idea and more of a consequence of Google’s internal asset allocation. Within the Chinese commercial space market, launch startup iSpace is preparing for an IPO on the Science and Technology Innovation Board (STAR) exchange. And finally, Redwire continues to acquire smaller mid-market aerospace companies with its acquisition of Oakman Aerospace, a Littleton, Colorado firm known for digital engineering and spacecraft development.

In late-breaking news, Acorn Growth Companies of Oklahoma, a private equity firm with an aerospace and defense fund, announced that former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine would be joining the firm as a Senior Advisor. See NASA Administrator Joins Acorn Growth Companies for details. 

This week's picks of space sector news compiled from Jeff Foust's FIRST UP newsletter are:

Starbridge Weekly Update for the week ending 1/18/2021

Starbridge made a new investment this week in Carbice, an Atlanta, Georgia based materials engineering company developing thermal management technologies using vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. Their materials have flown on several satellites and has many terrestrial applications related to heat transfer from electronic components.

Amidst the turmoil in US politics, the space industry marched on this past week with the first launches of the year from SpaceX and Blue Origin. The US space industry is eagerly awaiting some direction on space policy from the incoming Biden Administration but so far nothing substantive has been made available. The same goes for both the House and Senate as committee assignments for the House have not been released and the upcoming shift in the balance of power in the Senate has not started.

Outside of the Government programs the industry itself is still struggling to find enough skilled workers to fill open positions. Many companies began hiring recruiting firms to attract workers from outside the space industry. This will probably appear as an increase in burn rate as compensation rates increase. In the space finance world ARK Invest’s intention to open up a Space technologies ETF created a few waves. Starbridge believe this is a very significant event and will lead to increased demand for new space sector listings and thus pressure on private space sector companies to go public either through SPACs, direct listings, or traditional IPOs.

This week's picks of space sector news compiled from Jeff Foust's FIRST UP newsletter are:

Eventos Destacados De Starbridge Durante 1T 2020

Hoy en día el mundo entero está enfocado en el SARS-CoV-2 y el impacto real que está teniendo en las personas y su economía. Si bien este será el caso en las próximas semanas/meses, también es importante tener en cuenta que todavía hay cosas buenas que están sucediendo en el mundo si sabemos en dónde mirar.

Por ejemplo, la NASA tiene programado regresar astronautas al espacio en el primer SpaceX Dragon 2 tripulado el próximo mes. Este será el primer lanzamiento con tripulación desde suelo americano en casi 9 años, así como también un cambio enorme e histórico hacia un enfoque mucho más comercial en las actividades espaciales.

En tiempos de incertidumbre, es importante tener en cuenta estas tendencias de largo plazo al pensar en cómo posicionar mejor sus inversiones. En Starbridge, adoptamos un enfoque calculado en inversiones tempranas del sector espacial así como en sectores que lo rodean.  El desempeño de las compañías en nuestro portafolio hasta el momento hablan por sí mismas. 

Estos son algunos de los grandes avances que se han dado durante el primer semestre del año para ciertas empresas del portafolio: 

Airmap: continúa construyendo participación de mercado para su plataforma de espacio aéreo y automatización digital con despliegues en aeropuertos de todo el mundo e identificando oportunidades secundarias a través de adquisiciones como Hangar, una plataforma única de operaciones automatizadas para drones. 

Axiom Space: en enero, la NASA anunció que Axiom fue seleccionado como el único proveedor de una nueva extensión comercial de la Estación Espacial Internacional, lo que significa que Axiom es responsable de la plataforma de investigación y fabricación comercial de próxima generación. Este contrato inicial tiene un valor de US$140 millones. Adicionalmente, ya tiene compromisos para enviar pasajeros privados a la Estación Espacial Internacional (EEI) a partir de 2021 así como nuevos contratos para plataformas de investigación en el espacio (estos dos representan segmentos adicionales de crecimiento).  Aquí un video conceptual sobre el  futuro ensamblaje de la Estación Espacial Axiom.

Lynk Global: en marzo, Lynk desplegó su cuarta ‘torre celular en el espacio' como un satélite de vuelo libre anunciando el enlace exitoso entre éste y varios teléfonos móviles no modificados en la Tierra. Están por lanzar nuevos satélites en los próximos meses con el objetivo de conectar al mundo por medio de alianzas con más de 30 operadores de telecomunicaciones (MNOs) a nivel mundial.

Made In Space: después de ganar un contrato por US$73 millones con NASA, MIS continuó expandiendo sus logros de manufactura espacial, trasladó su sede corporativa a Florida y comenzó a fabricar adaptadores de PPE y ventiladores muy necesarios para ayudar a trabajadores de la salud en estos momentos tan complicados. Adicionalmente, el CEO de MIS Andrew Rush, ha sido nombrado por el Administrador de la NASA (Jim Bridenstine) para servir como Presidente del NASA Advisory Council Regulatory and Policy Committee (NAC).

Umbra Lab: las solicitudes de patente para su innovador diseño de antena llevaron a Umbra a salir de “stealth mode” y realizar un video introductorio explicando sus aplicaciones.  Se perfilan a lanzar su primer satélite a finales de 2020, ya han firmado contratos con clientes y recientemente han agregado a miembros clave del equipo, como Marcus Chevitarese, ex Director Adjunto de Ingeniería en Raytheon.

Otros eventos relevantes:

Felicitamos a Masten Space Systems por su reciente contrato por US$75.9 millones para entregar misiones de carga útil a la Luna. Antes de convertirse en socio de Starbridge VC, Michael Mealling fue uno de los co-fundadores originales de Masten Space Systems, por lo que es muy bueno ver que la compañía tenga el éxito que Michael siempre imaginó que podría tener.

Lindsey Yee (Principal, Starbridge VC) asistió a una conferencia de la industria como oradora y juez de lanzamiento en Satellite 2020 en Washington, DC justo antes de que se implementaran las restricciones de viaje. 

Cabe mencionar que con el coronavirus ha habido una creciente demanda de imágenes satelitales y monitoreo remoto en todo el mundo y al mismo tiempo ha demostrado la naturaleza esencial de nuestras redes de comunicación global siendo ambos pilares de la tesis de inversión de Starbridge VC.

Finalmente, vale la pena comentar que NASA ha elegido tres compañías (Blue Origin, SpaceX y Dynetics) para proporcionar aterrizadores humanos en sus próximas misiones lunares. Blue Origin lidera un equipo compuesto por Northrop Grumman, Lockheed y Draper Labs. Dynetics lidera un equipo de 25 subcontratistas tales como Sierra Nevada, Thales Alenia, Oceaneering y United Launch Alliance (ULA). La propuesta de SpaceX, con un diseño de Starship ligeramente modificado es realmente único ya que parece no requerir del SLS (Space Launch System).

Para los inversionistas que deseen tener exposición al sector espacial comercial y los avances espectaculares que éste tendrá a nivel mundial, los invitamos a conocer más sobre Starbridge Fund II.

Starbridge Highlights for Q1 2020

The world is currently focused on SARS-CoV-2 and the very real impact it is having on people; personally and economically. While this may continue to be the case for weeks to come, it’s also important to keep in mind that there are still good things happening in the world, if you know where to look, and the march of progress keeps moving forward.

For instance, NASA is scheduled to return astronauts to space on the first crewed SpaceX Dragon 2 launch on May 27th. This will be the first crewed launch from U.S. soil in 9 years and marks a historic shift to a commercial centric focus in space activities.

In uncertain times, it is important to keep these larger trends in mind when thinking about how to best position your investments. At Starbridge, we take a calm and calculated approach to early stage investments in and around the space sector, and the performance of our portfolio companies speaks for itself.

Here are some of the highlights happening in our portfolio companies during the first quarter of 2020:

Airmap:

Continuing to build market share for their digital airspace and automation platforms with deployments at airports around the world and by identifying secondary opportunities through acquisitions such as Hangar; a unique automated drone operations platform. 

Axiom Space:

In January, NASA announced that Axiom was selected as the sole provider of a new commercial extension to the International Space Station - meaning, Axiom is responsible for the next generation platform of commercial research and manufacturing. This initial contract is worth $140 million with first revenues already booked. In addition, Axiom have new private passenger commitments to fly to the ISS as early as 2021 and new contracts for in-space research platforms; which represent two more growth segments. Here’s a concept video of the future assembly of the Axiom Space Station.

Lynk Global:

In March, Lynk deployed their 4th ‘cell tower in space’ as a free-flying satellite and announced the successful link between that spacecraft and several unmodified mobile phones on Earth. They’re on pace to launch new satellites every few months and truly connect the world in the near future through partnerships with over 30 of the world’s largest telecom networks.  

Made In Space: 

After winning a $73 million contract from NASA, MIS continues to expand their in-space manufacturing accomplishments, moved their corporate HQ to Florida, and began manufacturing much needed PPE, face shields, and ventilator adaptors to help our healthcare workers in the current time of need. Also, MIS CEO Andrew Rush has been appointed by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine to serve as Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council Regulatory and Policy Committee.

Umbra Lab:

Patent filings for their innovative antenna design prompted Umbra to officially come out of stealth mode and provide an introductory video explaining their applications. They’re currently on track to launch their first satellite at the end of 2020, have already signed customer contracts, and recently added key team members such as Marcus Chevitarese who was formerly Deputy Engineering Director at Raytheon.

Other notable events:

We congratulate Masten Space Systems on their recent $75.9 million contract win to deliver cargo missions to the moon. Prior to becoming a General Partner at Starbridge VC, Michael Mealling was one of the original co-founders of Masten Space Systems, so it’s great to see the company having the success Michael always envisioned it could.

Lindsey Yee (Principal, Starbridge VC) snuck in one last industry conference as a Speaker and Startup Pitch Judge at Satellite 2020 in Washington, D.C. before the travel bans rolled out. 

With coronavirus keeping everyone at home, there has been growing demand for satellite imagery and remote monitoring worldwide, while also demonstrating the essential nature of our global communication networks - both of which are pillars of the Starbridge VC investment thesis.

Last but not least, NASA has chosen three companies to provide human landers for their upcoming Moon missions: Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Dynetics. Blue Origin leads a team made up of Northrop Grumman, Lockheed, and Draper Labs. Dynetics is leading a team of 25 subcontractors such as Sierra Nevada, Thales Alenia, Oceaneering, and United Launch Alliance (ULA). SpaceX’s entry, a slightly modified Starship design, is the most unique of all since it may not need SLS.

For investors looking to take advantage of the long-term growth in commercial space activity and the dramatic advances this will have globally, we invite you to learn more about Starbridge Fund II.

Happy Yuri’s Night and Congrats to SpaceIL and SpaceX!

It’s been a busy week of space first’s with SpaceIL’s attempt at landing on the moon followed by SpaceX’s successful second launch of their Falcon Heavy rocket and the recovery of their rocket booster’s.

Here at Starbridge, we know space is hard; and so we commend SpaceIL on being the first private space company to attempt a lunar landing with their spacecraft, Beresheet, after having traveled over four million miles and completing a series of three orbits around Earth. Most importantly, SpaceIL has demonstrated that access to the moon is not something that is beyond the reach of private organizations.

The fact that SpaceIL achieved this feat as a nonprofit garnering an estimated $100 million from private donations alone suggests that there isn't yet a business model that can be executed presently for lunar exploration. However, with lowering launch costs and advents in spacecraft technology across the space industry shows that potential business models revolving around lunar resources (water, aluminum, etc.) have become more viable.

Last year, NASA announced their Commercial Lunar Payload Services program which will contract with private companies to carry scientific instruments to the lunar surface. NASA isn’t the only nation planning missions to the moon. China recently landed their spacecraft, Chang’e-4 on the far side of the moon and is planning Chang’e-5 in which they will attempt to return samples from the lunar surface. India is also making an attempt at landing their Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft near the moon’s South Pole sometime this summer. The European Space Agency (ESA) has also been advocating for a multi-partner “Moon Village” concept to further lunar exploration.

Despite these nations enthusiasm for going to the moon, there still lacks an actual customer beyond governments. Currently, Starbridge is actively involved in policy discussions pertaining to the US’s stance on the financing and public private partnerships to figure out what those lunar markets might be and what role government will have in those business models.

We hope that everyone has a great weekend and plans for Yuri’s Night!

Per aspera ad astra!

Success at Ubiquitilink!

Congrats to Starbridge portfolio company Ubiquitilink! For those who haven’t yet read the recent WSJ and/or Techcrunch articles (first, second), Ubiquitilink launched and tested their basic connectivity on a Cygnus ISS resupply mission demonstrating basic SMS capabilities from orbit to an unmodified cell phone on the ground.

“Our first tests demonstrated that we offset the Doppler shift and time delay. Everything else is leveraging commercial software,” Miller said, though he quickly added: “To be clear, there’s plenty more work to be done, but it isn’t anything that’s new technology. It’s good solid hardcore engineering, building nanosats and that sort of thing.” (Techcrunch)

The company is working with existing mobile networks so there is no need for Ubiquitilink to create its own mobile network or for the end customer to switch mobile providers.

Ubiquitilink is developing a network of small "orbital cell phone towers" that can mimic any mobile network and can be accessed by completely normal, consumer-grade cell phones. Their network of smallsats will be large enough to bring connectivity to every human being on the planet. With their successful testing, Ubiquitilink is now moving forward into their manufacturing and deployment phase. If you are interested in working with Ubiquitilink, they’re looking for embedded software developers, RF/Electrical engineers, and operations and test engineers.

Happy New Year from Starbridge Venture Capital

2018 was an exciting year for the space industry and Starbridge. SpaceX continues to disrupt the launch business and Blue Origin follows close behind. The Mars Opportunity rover fell silent after a dust storm, but two other spacecraft arrived at separate near earth asteroids and both will return samples. The last days of the year are book ended by not one but two historical missions: the landing of China’s Chang’e 4 spacecraft on the lunar far side and the extended mission flyby of Ultima Thule by NASA’s New Horizons.

For us here at Starbridge, this was our inaugural year. This was the year that we signed on our first investors and made our initial investments. Our portfolio now includes companies such as Made In Space, Umbra Lab, Axiom Space, and a few companies still in stealth mode. We even added a few people to our core team who hold the same vision of generating great returns by investing in impactful companies and building influential relationships in the growing space industry.

We are all excited about the prospects of 2019. The Moon will become a bit more crowded with China and India landing rovers on the Moon’s surface and the first private mission to the Moon by the Israeli company SpaceIL. NASA’s Commercial Crew program is performing both un-crewed and crewed test flights with Boeing and SpaceX. 2019 will be a particularly busy year for SpaceX with two scheduled Falcon Heavy flights, ‘hopper’ test flights of Starship related systems, and two Commercial Crew flights. We will most likely see both Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic flying people into space, at least three new smallsat launch vehicles doing their first test flights, and sadly, a few companies will be closing their doors.

For Starbridge, we have significant plans for 2019. Our first Fund will officially close in the coming months and we will begin planning for Fund 2 later in the year. Our strategic relationships will begin to bear fruit in terms of tools and organizations to help rationalize the space industry’s financial infrastructure. We are particularly encouraged by the growing interest in in-space manufacturing and commercial LEO communications infrastructure.

While economists expect some sort of economic slowdown in 2019, Starbridge believes the accelerating rate of development in the space industry will continue to make space a compelling investment.  Regardless of the state of the larger economy, we always encourage companies to apply the same sound safety margins to their finances that they do to their engineering. We also encourage individual investors who are not already deeply embedded in the industry to find an advisor, whether it’s Starbridge or someone else, who can help them navigate and evaluate deals.

We’re looking forward to many great things in 2019 as we help our investors and portfolio companies grow. Come join Starbridge and help build the future!

Starbridge Invests in Made In Space

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Starbridge Venture Capital recently made an investment in space-based manufacturing company Made In Space (MIS). Through MIS’s combination of a strong management team and substantial market potential, they have established themselves as the leading developer of in-space manufacturing techniques including 3D printing, processing of unique materials in microgravity, and automated assembly of large structures - three essential technologies for space development and manufacturing. Over MIS’s eight years of existence, this is their first round of outside investment which will be used to advance their products to market.

Astronaut Barry Wilmore with a 3D-printed ratchet aboard the International Space Station — the first part 3D printed in space. Image courtesy of NASA.  

Astronaut Barry Wilmore with a 3D-printed ratchet aboard the International Space Station — the first part 3D printed in space. Image courtesy of NASA.  

Made In Space was founded in 2010 by a team of experienced space experts and key 3D printing developers. The team has carefully grown the company over the past eight years by earning a combination of government and commercial research grants. MIS designed and built the first 3D printers for use on the International Space Station and the first commercial in-space fiber optic pulling device for creating nearly flawless ZBLAN-based fiber optics in zero-gravity.

We have tracked the company’s progress over the past few years and have been impressed with each milestone completed. MIS’s view of the space industry and their role in it matches Starbridge’s long term strategy. From MIS’s website:

Made In Space is primarily concerned with how the unique traits of the space environment such as persistent microgravity and vacuum conditions can be harnessed to offer new commercial solutions. By manufacturing and assembling structures on orbit, rather than on the planet's surface, we unlock incredible design possibilities for extending the life of current on-orbit assets or entirely new structures. By pulling fiber in microgravity, we address one of the most critical barriers to perfect ZBLAN on the surface–gravity-caused crystallization. By setting up a prototyping platform on the ISS National Lab, we give researchers the ability to prototype tools and designs in the environment of space with short iteration cycles.

Space has many unique properties that force us to think outside of the box. In many cases it is one of the most interdisciplinary technology sectors. That approach plus the inherent opportunities of space itself creates incredible new opportunities.

MIS’s developmental work on ultra high quality ZBLAN fiber optics on the International Space Station (ISS) is ready to move into its next stage of production. Traction with customers, such as Corning and Thorlabs, as well as fast approaching theoretical limits of terrestrially produced fiber optics suggest an industry wide transition to space produced fiber optics for key long haul networks and other high value networks.

Archinaut assembling an extremely large communications antenna. 

Archinaut assembling an extremely large communications antenna. 

A key consideration for a venture capital fund is participation in future rounds and the scale of the company’s subsequent growth. MIS’s other lines of business: in-vacuum additive manufacturing, in-space spacecraft assembly/servicing, and assembly of extremely large structures, all have potential growth similar to the fiber optic business. We look forward to participating with MIS in their future growth!

Our Investment in Axiom Space

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The success of every space development initiative is optimized when one company’s efforts enables others.

Starbridge is excited to build upon those efforts by participating in Axiom Space’s most recent investment round. Axiom is building a commercial space station that will provide additional and expanded services to the International Space Station (ISS) and eventually be the basis of a transition to commercial human spaceflight when the ISS retires in 2025. Axiom’s engineers and staff have been at the forefront of operations of the ISS over the past 20 years and they are using that expertise to build and operate a commercial alternative to the ISS that will enhance and one day replace the ISS.

Axiom’s first space station will be assembled while connected to an ISS port designated by NASA for private space modules. Depending on the status of arrangements with NASA and other customers, as a next milestone, Axiom will deploy its own power and heat management systems and then detach from ISS prior to ISS’s retirement.

Axiom Space’s first three modules, including the Axiom Earth Observatory, attached to the International Space Station. Image courtesy Axiom Space.

Axiom Space’s first three modules, including the Axiom Earth Observatory, attached to the International Space Station. Image courtesy Axiom Space.

Today, the ISS is run through a partnership of countries that built it including the United States, Russia, the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan and Canada. In order to visit the ISS, you must be a guest of one of those countries; with limited slots available chances are slim. That means even ESA member states have a limited allocation of seats available to them.

Axiom Space’s station operating independently Image courtesy Axiom Space.

Axiom Space’s station operating independently Image courtesy Axiom Space.

Axiom’s target customers include national space agencies, private individuals, researchers, space manufacturing companies, private and public space exploration missions, and advertising/media companies.

Axiom fits our investment thesis as a commercial provider of infrastructure that supports the business models of many of our other current and future investments. Axiom is a vital part of the base layer of the “infrastructure” pyramid supporting sustained human space exploration and the colonization of the moon and Mars. As the ISS continues to age, its ability to support commercial development will continue to be reduced. Axiom Station is a cornerstone of the future of human spaceflight.

We look forward to the day when there are multiple commercial orbital platforms making money and providing unique and cutting-edge services to people on Earth. We see Axiom as a major player in this future market, satisfying the demand for human spaceflight on Earth, the demand for a microgravity research and manufacturing platform in proximity to Earth, and serving as a proving ground for missions to deeper space.

 

Diversification Means More Than Just “More”

“... innovation is more about programmatic
disciplined effort, carried out over time in a
well-considered portfolio approach,
than it is about serendipity."
- Deloitte Insights, 2017

One of the challenges of being an angel investor is having enough diversification that the odds are high that one or two companies will “make your fund”. Except for carry, an angel investor is essentially a venture capital fund with one limited partner: you. You pay fees to lawyers, accountants, governments, restaurants, and airlines. You work with your portfolio companies to protect your investments. Those investments have the same risk profile depending on the stage and sector. And you want the same or better returns. But without significant diversification your risk is far higher.

Whether it’s Kauffman Foundation or the Angel Capital Association, the evidence is in that angel investing only works if you diversify. So no matter how much you love the company that’s in front of you, make sure it is only one of at last 20 investments in your portfolio. The evidence has also proven that you need some knowledge of the sector you are investing in to avoid the hype and to understand market structure.

All of that goes double for emerging industries such as space, blockchain, IoT, or AI. Add ‘investor’ to you profile on LinkedIn and within minutes your inbox will be filled with entrepreneurs pitching their latest crypto hedge fund or machine learning startup. Are some of them real? Sure. But how do you tell unless you know that industry inside and out? You can ask experts but is that really a well reasoned and disciplined investment thesis? How much of your ‘fees’ will you be spending trying to figure that out?

If you are considering early stage technology companies as a part of your overall portfolio, you should consider doing it through a fund either alongside your targeted investments or as a co-investor with the fund. Whether it’s a local angel fund focused on a mix of local real estate and tech deals or a sector specific fund with world wide reach, you can’t beat the diversification and knowledge of a well run VC fund. If the minimums are too high talk to them anyway, many will help bundle you with other smaller investors into an SPV.

Our Investment In Umbra Lab

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We recently made an investment in the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) company Umbra Lab. This Santa Barbara startup is building a unique SAR constellation capable of quarter-meter resolution. The proposed 12 satellite constellation is capable of hourly revisit times at slightly lower resolutions.

Steven Jorgenson, one of our GPs, stated “I have been investing in space since 2004, before most mainstream investors were even aware of the industry. In 2010, I recognized how Planet Labs (now Planet) was a great opportunity to commercialize space in a new way. Today, Planet is considered the leader of the small satellite revolution and is a pillar of NewSpace. Umbra Lab’s technology represents another leap forward in performance, pioneering a new generation of commercial remote sensing.”

This investment is an example of our larger strategy to invest in the opportunities enabled by space, not just in space technologies. Companies like Umbra enable new capabilities for data analytics companies and applications that use the data Umbra is producing.  We expect our portfolio companies, like Umbra, to significantly disrupt markets and industries on Earth by orders of magnitude.

Umbra Lab’s spacecraft does not fit into today’s legacy aerospace or the new space mold for Earth observation platforms. In today's satellite imaging ecosystem, traditional satellites cost hundreds of millions of dollars, sacrificing high costs in exchange for high resolution (1 meter). Newer smallsat-based platforms sacrifice image resolution in exchange for much lower costs. Limited image resolution has been a key shortfall of small/cube satellites ability to disrupt legacy and terrestrial Earth imaging.

Umbra's software defined radar electronics package

Umbra's software defined radar electronics package

Umbra refused to make that performance sacrifice. Their new imaging capability offers a significant improvement over the best legacy sensor with recurring costs in the single digit millions. We believe .25 x .25 meter imagery is not only disruptive to both SAR and optical satellites but likely the terrestrial drone industry as well.

Umbra Lab’s software defined radar, powerful antenna, and digital signal processor provides a groundbreaking power aperture area and launch volume:

  • NESZ: ≤ -18 dB

  • Range Resolution ≥0.25m

  • Azimuth Resolution ≥0.10m

This level of accuracy can be traded off for faster revisit time, giving customers a range of choices for what kind of data they need. That choice creates a wide range of applications including, but certainly not limited to:

  • Supply Chain Surveillance

  • Maritime Compliance

  • Search & Rescue

  • Precision Farming

  • Defense and Security

Their 1200+ MHz radar electronics and refusal to pursue analytics as part of their business model has garnered tremendous customer support and led to last year's oversubscribed round. David Langan, the co-founder and CEO of Umbra Lab, has over a decade supporting advanced space systems and is a space-based radar subject matter expert. David is one of the most diligent founders we have come across.

Our co-investors in Umbra include: Crosscut Ventures, Hemisphere Ventures, Wilderness Ventures, Champion Hill Labs and a future Umbra Lab customer.

 

Space Investing Is Global

Two events this week illustrate just how global the space technology sector is. Boeing's venture arm, HorizonX, participated in a $15M round in Myriota and the Japanese government announced a 100 billion yen ($940M) fund for space startups. 

The $15 million round in Myriota was led by Australian venture capital firms Blue Sky and Main Sequence, with Boeing HorizonX Ventures, Singapore-based Singtel Innov8 and Right Click Capital joining the fundraising. This is HorizonX's first investment outside the US. Myriota is a product of the $12 million Australian Space Research Program.

The Japanese space fund developed quickly after iSpace raised a $90M Series A  at the end of last year. iSpace is teaming with a former Google Lunar Xprize competitor TeamIndus on lunar exploration technologies. 

The ties between funding sources, Governments with national economic development interests, and regional market needs mean that space technologies are not limited by national boundaries. Global deal visibility is critical. Traditional technology investors cannot rely on their existing domestic networks to discover the next deal. 

Starbridge Releases Details of Its Advisor Committee

Starbridge announced the members of its committee of experts that will advise the company on investments as well provide support and guidance to the fund's portfolio companies. Committee members are drawn from various industries, organizations, and backgrounds. The committee members are:

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DR. JEFFREY A. HOFFMAN

DIRECTOR, MAN VEHICLE LAB, MIT
NASA ASTRONAUT, RETIRED

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DR. CHERYL NICKERSON

CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND VACCINOLOGY
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

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DR. HARRY PARTRIDGE

CHIEF TECHNOLOGIST, NASA AMES

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DR. NEAL PELLIS

LIFE SCIENCES DIRECTOR (RETIRED)
UNIVERSITIES SPACE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION (USRA)

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BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM THORNTON, USAF (RETIRED)

VP CYBER SECURITY E*TRADE

For further details on the members and their backgrounds see our Advisory Team page.

Steven Jorgenson, Partner at Starbridge Venture Capital, Discusses Financing and Emerging Space Ventures at Satellite 2018

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Steven Jorgenson, founder and Partner with Starbridge Venture Capital, will be speaking at the "Emerging Space- Is there a Path to Profitability?" panel at the Satellite 2018 conference in Washington, D.C. on Monday, March 12, 2018 from 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM. Steven and panel members Rob Coneybeer (Shasta Ventures) and Jeanette Quinlan (Starburst Aerospace Accelerator) will be discussing whether emerging space businesses, with the more than $10 B invested since 2000, is a profitable business? The panel synopsis suggests "The answer lies somewhere between the pitfalls of hype and the hopes of stellar returns…within a reasonable ‘exit’ window. In reality, investment and business prospects facing these companies are far from clear, and many investors now ask the burning question: where is my profit? This hard-hitting session will focus in on the business case for emerging space, and if big investment means big returns."

If you will be attending or are in the Washington, D.C. area and would like more detail please contact as info@starbridgevc.com or visit us at http://starbridgevc.com/. For conference details see http://2018.satshow.com