Bridgit Mendler, known for her roles on the Disney Channel and as a singer, is now venturing into changing how satellite data is transmitted to Earth.
After pursuing studies at both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Law School, Mendler’s exposure to space law at the Federal Communications Commission’s new Space Bureau sparked her passion for the space industry.
This led her to establish Northwood Space, headquartered in El Segundo, California, where she serves as CEO.
“The vision is a data highway between Earth and space,” Mendler explained. “Space is advancing in many ways, but sending data to and from space remains challenging. Accessing satellites can be difficult.”
Rather than focusing on rocket or satellite production, Northwood Space aims to revolutionize ground station technology. These ground stations, also known as teleports, are vital components that establish connections with satellites in orbit.
The startup has already garnered significant attention from top-tier venture investors, securing around $6 million in initial funding from investors like Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, and Also Capital.
Mendler co-founded Northwood Space with her husband, Griffin Cleverly, who serves as the startup’s chief technology officer, and Shaurya Luthra, the head of software. Cleverly and Luthra bring valuable engineering expertise from their previous roles at Lockheed Martin and Mitre Corporation.
The idea for Northwood Space emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, inspired by Mendler’s time with her family near a lake in New Hampshire. “While others were making sourdough starters, we were building antennas from scraps and receiving data from NOAA satellites,” Mendler recalled.
Mendler emphasized the significance of ground stations in bringing the benefits of space technology to people’s everyday lives.
Cleverly highlighted the exponential growth of data in the space industry and the urgent need for reliable data transmission to and from satellites. Northwood Space aims to address this demand by prioritizing fast production and deployment of ground stations.
Luthra stressed the importance of delivering ground stations promptly, intending to provide them within days rather than months. This rapid deployment ensures that satellite operators can efficiently support their operations on Earth.
Initially targeting services for satellites in low Earth orbit, Northwood Space aims to provide cost-effective solutions for companies that require ground station capabilities without the expense of building their networks.
The startup seeks to streamline the process of accessing ground stations, akin to renting server capacity from cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure. This approach enables space companies to respond swiftly to emerging use cases and missions.
Northwood Space plans to conduct its first test connecting to a spacecraft in orbit later this year, marking a significant milestone in its mission to revolutionize satellite data transmission.
