Afleveringen
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Sebastian Klaus (CEO and co-founder of ATMOS Space Cargo) went from a 17-year-old watching SpaceShipOne make history to building Europe's fastest-moving space reentry company from prototype to flight under 12 months.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Sebastian reveals how ATMOS went from nearly going bankrupt in 2022 to successfully demonstrating inflatable heat shield technology from a small plane over the South Atlantic. From 14 years of military service to convincing investors to put €10M+ into the "most advanced technology in spaceflight history," this is the raw story of Europe's race to build space sovereignty—and how ATMOS could become the "FedEx for space."
Want to get hired in ATMOS? https://tally.so/r/wvalVD
Want to invest in ATMOS? https://tally.so/r/wLjeBp
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:49) From 17-Year-Old Dreamer to Military Officer
(10:23) Building the Dream Team: Finding Co-founders
(19:32) Early Prototyping & Technical Validation
(22:44) The Dark Year: 2022 Crisis & Near Bankruptcy
(29:58) The Funding Gauntlet: Raising €10M+ Seed Round
(38:45) Lori Garver & EIC Grant: €13M European Bet
(44:20) Phoenix One Mission: Historic Flight Success
(49:00) Defence Pivot: Ukraine War & Drone Applications
(54:39) Quick Fire Round & Hiring Philosophy
(58:21) Advice for Young Founders
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Takeaways:
1) Study the fundamental bottlenecks of your future industry before it exists. "I did my bachelor's on atmospheric reentry and my master's on reusable rocket engines. For me it was very clear - you need atmospheric reentry technology and you need to be able to reuse those things."
2) Recruit co-founders when they're at career peaks but facing industry decline. "On Christmas Eve, I called a world-class engineer who had just launched a $10 billion space telescope. I said 'Your rocket program is being shut down. If you want to quit, now is the time.'" Target potential co-founders when their current path has obvious dead ends.
3) Physical prototypes unlock funding that slide decks never will. "We dropped a 1:10 scale prototype from a helicopter to test our inflatable heat shield. It worked on the first try and became a very good marketing tool for customers and investors."
4) Work second jobs to fund your startup - investors notice the sacrifice. "My co-founders and I were all working second jobs to keep the company afloat. We didn't pay ourselves a single euro in salary. Founders sacrificing personal income signals total commitment to investors.
5) Find technologies where physics gives you 10X advantages over incumbents. "With inflatable technology, we can bring back 10X more cargo from space." Look for fundamental physical constraints that new approaches can completely break.
6) Pivot when customers give you contracts, not just compliments. "Once we switched to building our own spacecraft and selling to pharmaceutical companies, we felt real customer pull. Companies immediately gave us letters of intent and MOUs." Polite interest isn't market validation - signed agreements are.
7) Fly to the middle of nowhere for your company's biggest moments. "I flew 700 kilometers over the Atlantic Ocean in a small plane with Starlink duct-taped to the window to watch our spacecraft return from orbit." Critical company moments require founder presence, not remote management.
8) Build operational flexibility into everything, not just your product. "We had to completely replan our space mission weeks before launch when our landing zone changed from the Indian Ocean to the South Atlantic." External changes will break rigid operations - adaptability determines survival.
9) Dual-use technology can 10X your addressable market overnight. "The same technology that returns pharmaceutical experiments from space can deliver drones anywhere on Earth within hours." Defence applications can massively expand your total addressable market.
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Stefan Roebel transformed from 12 years in the German military and a decade scaling Amazon operations to co-founding Europe's largest autonomous military vehicle production facility in just 3 years.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Stefan reveals how ARX Robotics (ARX) went from a university research project to life-saving robots supporting Ukrainian troops in under 3 years. From a tired Thursday dinner where "nothing existed" to raising €40M+ and building combat-proven systems, this is the raw story of Europe's race to build its defense future before it's too late—and how ARX could become Europe's next defencetech unicorn.
Want to get hired in ARX? https://tally.so/r/3qqAYd
Want to invest in ARX? https://tally.so/r/mZA6Ga
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:57) Personal Background & Joining ARX as 4th Co-founder
(07:49) Project A Venture Studio Program
(12:40) The First Prototype
(19:37) Pivot to Modular Approach & ARX Framework
(25:45) Customer Acquisition Strategy
(31:27) Seed Round: €9 Million & NATO Innovation Fund
(39:54) Launching Mithra OS
(42:19) Series A: How we raised €31 Million
(46:24) Vision: Becoming a European Defence Prime
(50:35) Advice for Defence Tech Founders
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Takeaways:
1) Venture studios beat accelerators for hardware companies
"A venture studio is a level two accelerator. They assign a founder associate, shared resources like hiring, legal contacts - they have all the tools a classical VC has plus operational background." This mindset was exactly what ARX needed for complex hardware development.
2) Build your first prototype to fundraise, not to sell
"Investors got super excited because they saw a physical product after a decade of SaaS presentations." Hardware founders need something tangible to overcome investor skepticism.
3) Pitch deck hell is inevitable - embrace the chaos
"We had 40 iterations of the first pitch deck.
There are 500 different opinions on pitch decks, especially for hardware. Don't fight the feedback loop - use each iteration to find investors who actually understand your market and hardware.
4) Win credibility through real competitions, not demos
"We won the visitors award at Estonian autonomy trials. That was the first time we got exposure to other robotics companies." Public trials validate your tech against established competitors.
5) Pivot from single-use to modular approach
"We found most robots are single-use. But the change of situation is so rapid you need a new solution every five minutes." Undefined markets require maximum flexibility.
6) Start with R&D contracts, scale to procurement later
"We used smaller R&D programs to finance development of 1-10 robots. The procurement is still a tanker - we're the speedboats getting money to figure out new processes." Use innovation programs as stepping stones to larger contracts.
7) Hire military experience locally for each country expansion"My military English is bad. We're replicating what we did in Germany by hiring local teams with military experience to understand customer needs and adapt our system." Defence is hyper-local - you need native military speakers.
8) Series A requires proof, not just vision"Series A is proof of concept done, show us traction, pipeline, forward-looking revenue. It's more data-driven, unromantic. They need conviction the money scales an already working machine." Move from founder-market fit to product-market fit evidence.
9) Speed of iteration determines battlefield winners"Fast iteration cycles will be the difference maker. The current speed of change is mission critical to battlefield success. Whoever iterates fastest wins."
10) Pick investors who understand B2G
]We had investors with SaaS mindset asking about recurring revenues. Find investors who've lived your customer's world, not just scaled software companies.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Mitch Hunter-Scullion is the CEO and founder of Asteroid Mining Corporation (AMC), Europe's first asteroid mining company with operations across three continents and partnership with Japanese lab that built HAYABUSA (actual asteroid missions).
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Mitch shares his journey from a 21-year-old university student writing a dissertation on asteroid mining to building a space robotics company with operations across three continents. From registering the company name on a whim to appearing on BBC World News, from failed crowdfunding campaigns to million-pound investment rounds, Mitch explains how he transformed an "impossible dream" into reality. He discusses developing climbing robots for both terrestrial industrial applications and future space missions, navigating cultural differences between UK and Japanese space ecosystems, and how persistence through skepticism led to collaborations with Tohoku University and the Japanese space industry.
Want to get hired in AMC? https://tally.so/r/wbX6Go
Want to invest in AMC? https://tally.so/r/npXk1b
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:05) From University to Company
(07:00) Credibility Crisis: When Everyone Thinks You're Mad
(11:09) BBC World Breakthrough
(14:24) The Crowdfunding Disaster: Why It Failed
(18:40) Extreme Bootstrap: Living on £500 for Years
(22:51) Japan Partnership: Random Beer to Tohoku University
(33:22) Product Pivot: Satellites to Climbing Robots Strategy
(39:00) First Million: The Institutional Investment Reality
(47:48) Near-Term vs Ultimate Mission: Balancing Revenue & Vision
(58:23) Fire Round Questions
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Takeaways:
1) Say yes to every conversation, especially early on"If someone wants to talk, you always talk... Random emails and coffee meetings led to Mitch's biggest partnerships and investment opportunities.
2) One major media appearance can instantly establish credibility "When I first went on BBC News, people were like, okay, so I actually see something's real here." Early founders desperately need credibility - prioritize getting one big media hit over many small ones.
3) Crowdfunding teaches you what real business looks like"Projects are projects, but business is business. Business is about creating a product and being able to generate profits." Failed crowdfunding forced Mitch to understand the difference between cool projects and viable businesses.
4) Extreme frugality can extend your runway for years"I didn't have any more than £500 in my bank account... overnight buses from Glasgow to London."
5) Academic partnerships are the easiest way into new markets"Academic partnerships are a really good way for startups to get their foot into a new market." Universities provide low-risk entry, cultural guidance, and credibility in foreign countries.
6) Build sustainable revenue before attempting your moonshot"Slow and steady wins the race... we don't approve of the get to asteroids or go bust model." Terrestrial customers fund your space dreams and provide resilience against failures.
7) Design once, sell twice: space tech for Earth applications"We always knew there were going to be industrial applications... synergistic development opportunities." Every space technology should have an Earth market - maritime, nuclear, mining industries pay well and prove your tech.
8) Investors care more about timelines than technical perfection." Investors really wanted to see timelines... The quicker you can have something that you can demo, the better." Show progress and momentum over perfect engineering - demos beat specifications.
9) Prepare financially and mentally for inevitable space failures"Space is incredibly difficult... when things go wrong, you need to be resilient." Unlike software, space has catastrophic single-point failures - build multiple revenue streams and mental toughness before attempting orbital missions.
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Adel Haddoud is the CEO and co-founder of Infinite Orbits, a space servicing startup that has raised €12 million in Series A funding.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Adel shares his journey from aerospace engineer and serial entrepreneur to building the world's first commercial nanosatellite in geostationary orbit. From surviving month-to-month during the pandemic to landing contracts with major players like Intelsat and the US Air Force, Adel explains how persistence and customer focus helped them achieve what many called impossible - repairing and servicing satellites in space.
Want to get hired in Infinite Orbits? https://tally.so/r/w2gzAe
Want to invest in Infinite Orbits? https://tally.so/r/3xLEDd
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:06) From Investor to Founder to CEO
(08:31) Finding First Customer
(22:06) Surviving the Early Years: Month-to-Month Funding
(29:37) Winning EIC Accelerator
(36:37) Building Step-by-Step: Product Evolution Strategy
(42:23) Fundraising Reality: Why We Are Always Raising
(47:12) Hiring for Personality Over Process
(50:11) Going Global While Staying European
(51:37) Fire Round: Rejections, Competition & Founder Advice
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Takeaways:
1) Follow customers, not personal preferences
"We are quite commercially driven. So we follow where our customers are." Infinite Orbits moved from Singapore to Europe because that's where their technology suppliers, talent, and major customers were located, not for personal convenience.
2) Adapt your product to what customers actually want
"We adapted to what customer wanted... They convinced us that it's good to go step by step." Instead of trying to do full satellite life extension immediately, they built simpler stepping-stone products that customers were willing to pay for and risk.
3) Persistence beats perfection in early sales
"A lot of people say, yeah, this is great, but this is so difficult." Adel's team kept explaining their vision-based rendezvous technology until people understood its potential, despite initial skepticism.
4) Never allow yourself to think you might fail
"I never thought we will not make it... Once you do, then it goes downhill. It's like a domino effect."
5)Target the biggest market, not the easiest one
"90 billion dollar was worth of assets in GEO orbit and less than 10 billion dollar worth of assets in LEO... it made sense to do servicing to something that costs 300 million euros."
6) EIC Accelerator is a game-changer for European startups
"That literally took us from one league to another league... That puts you on stage, really, that attracts investors." Winning EIC with only 4-6% success rate provided credibility and matching investment that unlocked their Series A.
7) Hire for personality and natural motivation first
"We are hiring for the personality most of the time... If a person is not naturally motivated by space and by our technology and by being part of the team, we don't hire them." Cultural fit and genuine passion matter more than perfect credentials.
8) "Never take NO for an answer" in fundraising
"The natural answer for a VC is like, oh, I'm not sure. Let's wait... So you just need to keep pushing and understand why you're pushing." Treat fundraising like sales - analyze why investors say no and work to convert them.
9) Every space startup should stop pretending being great
"Do not pretend. Get the truth from customers. Don't lie to yourself... Only a customer tells you if it's great or not." Adel's core philosophy: customer validation is the only truth that matters, not internal assumptions.
10) Collaboration beats going alone in European space
"Space is too big too difficult for everybody... if you're smart enough to collaborate, then you're open enough to collaborate." Their willingness to partner with companies across 17 European countries helped them win grants and build supply chains.
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Kenneth Skorpen is the co-founder and CEO of BlinkTroll Robotics, a defence tech startup that has raised €1.5 million just a few days ago.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Kenneth shares his journey from a decade in Norwegian special forces to building moving target systems that increase soldiers' hit accuracy from 10% to 80%. He reveals how his frustration with predictable static training targets during military exercises led him to start tinkering in his garage, eventually founding a company that now serves over 10,000 soldiers and police across Europe.
Want to get hired in BlinkTroll? https://tally.so/r/3ErqPB
Want to invest in BlinkTroll? https://tally.so/r/nrbDl2
-----------------------------------------------Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:22) Kenneth's Personal Background & Military Experience
(08:16) Transition from Oil & Gas to Defence Tech
(11:01) Finding Co-Founder Øystein
(19:40) Moving from Norway to Denmark
(28:31) Hiring & Building an International Team
(34:39) Fundraising Journey & Investor Alignment
(43:21) Product Strategy & Future Vision
(49:49) Fire Round: European Defence Industry Controversies
(54:28) Military Procurement Across Different Nations
(58:52) Can Europe Compete with American Defence Tech?
(01:02:06) Final Reflections on Training & Purpose
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Takeaways:
1) Military experience provides unique market insight but isn't everything: Kenneth's special forces background gave him credibility and problem awareness, but passion and energy matter more than perfect credentials.
2) Start building while employed to reduce financial pressure: Kenneth developed his moving target systems while working in oil and gas, avoiding the stress of needing immediate revenue to survive.
3) Market pull beats technology push every time: Kenneth only founded BlinkTroll in December 2022 when customers were actively requesting his systems, not when the technology was ready.
4) Find co-founders who complement, don't duplicate your skills: "If there was Kenneth number two, we'd be a terrible team. We'd be fighting over the same drawings." Kenneth handles technical development while Øystein manages sales and business operations - zero overlap, maximum coverage.
5) Customer tolerance reveals product-market fit strength:"The product was pretty sh*tty to begin with... But our customer saw the value even in a flawed product and continued supporting it." When customers endure bugs because the core value is essential, you've found something worth building.
6) Geographic arbitrage can unlock growth: Most of our customers were right across the border." Moving BlinkTroll from Norway to Denmark in 2023 provided better ecosystem support, customer proximity, and cultural alignment with defense priorities.
7) Hire for spark, not just skills: "If you have 10 interviews, there's maybe one person who's got spark in their eyes... not necessarily one with the best education or the best skillsets." Energy and excitement predict performance better than credentials when building early-stage teams.
8) Align with existing procurement needs, don't create new ones: "There is nobody with power or influence in the military procurement program itself by anything based on their own wishes or desires. They simply act upon what is being requested from them." Find out what the military is already looking to buy and align your product with those existing requirements, rather than trying to create new demand.
9) Investor alignment matters: "Do you share my values?... Kenneth turned down higher offers from investors who didn't align with BlinkTroll's mission during their fundraising process.
10) Simplest path to revenue wins over strategic perfection: "What's the shortest way to the money? The simplest solution that gets you revenue as fast as possible." Focus on products that generate cash quickly, then use that revenue to fund longer-term strategic initiatives for sustainable growth.
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Thomas Grübler is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of OroraTech, Germany's pioneering space-based wildfire detection company that has secured over €70 million in funding.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Thomas shares his journey from building satellites as a university student to creating a company that provides fire intelligence to firefighters worldwide. He reveals how a simple question - "how can a fire burn for three days without anyone finding it out?" - led to pivoting from hardware to software, securing their first international contracts during COVID, and launching multiple thermal imaging satellites on SpaceX. Thomas discusses raising €37 million in Series B funding, expanding to the US market in Colorado, and his vision for a 100-satellite constellation capable of detecting fires within 30 minutes globally.
Want to get hired in OroraTech? https://tally.so/r/3l1yBW
Want to invest in OroraTech? https://tally.so/r/mRa0xJ
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:28) University Origins & Space Passion
(10:05) Advice for Academic Founders
(12:50) The Pivot & Customer Discovery
(19:22) Building the Founding Team
(25:45) Angel Round & Going Global During COVID
(31:16) Series A & Business Model Evolution
(40:40) CEO Transition & US Market Entry
(47:20) Series B & Scaling to 100 Satellites
(56:10) Technical Challenges & European Ecosystem
(01:02:30) Future Vision & Wisdom
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Takeaways:
1) Personal passion drives persistence through challenges
Having deep personal connection to your problem space gives you unique insights and motivation to push through inevitable obstacles.
2) Talk to everyone about your idea - secrecy kills startups
Thomas met his co-founder Björn by openly pitching his "very, very bad pitch deck" at a conference.
3) Start with free money before touching equity
OroraTech secured EXIST grant, ESA contracts, and competition winnings before raising their first equity round.
4) Customer confusion forced a crucial pivot
"Nobody understood when we were talking about satellites and thermal... Instead they aggregated 25+ existing satellite data sources into one unified product customers could actually understand.
5) Engineer mindset can blind you to market realities
"We were talking with firefighting agencies and they told us, there's a fire burning for two or three days. People assume existing technology is being used optimally - often it's not.
6) COVID accelerated global sales strategy
"We needed to sell and we found out that we need to take advantage of this that everyone is happy of taking video calls. Their first major contracts came from Chile and Australia during the pandemic.
7) ROI trumps technology coolness for customers
"The ROI for someone in Chile who has their own firefighting agency, a private one, who is losing money every season... needs to protect their shareholders' interest actually."
8) Space doesn't make you special to investors
"You shouldn't talk about space too much. You are not selling to space, and your investors are not doing space." Focus on the problem you solve and market you serve, not the technology that enables it.
9) Series B requires bulletproof numbers, not just vision
"In Series B, they check all the numbers. The due diligence is not only based on a few customer interviews, but they really dig into the numbers" OroraTech had to prove scalable product-market fit with hard metrics, not just early customer traction.
10) US market entry demands local presence and patience
"All the statistics say that you're not successful if you don't have a local entity there and local people there. It's a different culture." After years of struggling to win US customers remotely, OroraTech finally established their Colorado subsidiary in 2024.
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Omar Qaise is the founder of OQ Technology, Luxembourg's first New Space startup as well as Europe's leading satellite 5G operator in direct-to-device connectivity.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Omar shares his journey from working at ESA and DLR to founding a space startup without co-founders in 2016. He reveals how he secured early contracts, demonstrated the world's first satellite 5G connectivity through Tiger missions, and focused on connecting industrial assets beyond cellular coverage. Omar discusses securing €13M in Series A funding co-led by Aramco Ventures, winning the prestigious EIC Accelerator grant, and his vision for a European constellation enabling seamless global connectivity competing with American players.
Want to get hired in OQ Technology? https://tally.so/r/nWdj4J
Want to invest in OQ Technology? https://tally.so/r/mePYbq
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:47) From ESA to Solo Founder
(06:45) Why Luxembourg
(10:52) First ESA Contracts
(15:20) Patenting Strategy
(19:38) Tiger-1 Mission
(24:10) Securing €1.5M Seed Round
(29:32) Aramco Partnership
(35:45) Tiger-2 Mission
(41:20) Series A: Raising €13M and Scaling the Company
(48:30) Batch-1 Constellation
(52:47) Direct-to-Smartphone Pivot
(57:18) Winning the EIC Accelerator
(01:02:30) Future Vision
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Takeaways:
1) Start alone if you have to - Omar started alone when others saw space as too risky: "The entrepreneurial mindset is not for everyone. Finding the right co-founder is difficult, but at some point, I had to take the decision to start the company and take the risk."
2) Speed beats perfection - When asked if he'd spend more time finding co-founders, Omar emphasized momentum: "If you miss the opportunity, then it's an issue. Especially in space right now, things are moving very fast."
3) Institutional funding needs commercial vision - Omar warns against getting trapped in technical development: "Once you get into technical development and excellence, you need always to keep in mind the commercial aspect. As engineers, we just love to build things and get sucked into the technical and forget about the business."
4) Strategic patents create MOATs - OQ's early patents on satellite 5G technology became part of global standards: "Big companies try to push their patents to be part of the standard. That gives you a huge leverage, a big barrier to entry, but also potentially royalties in future."
5) Trade shows should target customers, not space peers - Unlike most space startups, OQ focused on customer-centric events: "We go to the trade shows where we can sell. Maybe a lot of companies will go to space trade shows, but there you get people who try to sell you space things."
6) Focus on real pain points beyond cell coverage - Omar identified critical gaps in global connectivity: "Beyond the cell tower in remote rural areas, in the seas, you don't have any connectivity solution that works with cellular."
7) Capital efficiency is a competitive advantage - Omar strategically allocated limited resources: "We did have budget allocated, plus there are instruments and tools that help us in securing this without exhaustive cost at the beginning."
8) Orbit demonstration creates unmatched experience - Flying early gave OQ Technology irreplicable knowledge: "We've been through a lot of learning and mistakes that we had to correct. Any company trying now to access that also has to go through this whole cycle."
9) European space needs ambitious growth investments - Omar identifies a critical funding gap: "There's a lot of focus and investment on early stage, but you're gonna have companies that evolve to the scale-up stage."
10) Geopolitics can create market openings - Omar recognized how global tensions create strategic opportunities: "Europe needs to be independent with its infrastructure and technology."
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Dan Hermansen is the founder of MyDefence, an European drone defence company that's become a global leader in soldier-borne counter-unmanned aerial systems.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Dan shares his remarkable journey from Danish Air Force reserve officer to building an European defence tech with 150% annual growth. He reveals how they pivoted from roadside bomb protection to drone defence, securing their first contract with Danish Defence in 2013 with just €1 million while working full-time jobs. He explains My Defence's innovative approach to portable drone detection, the unprecedented NATO framework agreement they recently secured, and his passionate vision for saving lives through technology that's become battle-proven in Ukraine's front lines.
Want to get hired in MyDefence? https://tally.so/r/wkpL1J
Want to invest in MyDefence? https://tally.so/r/wvpR1d
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:47) Developing Anti-IED Tech from Scratch
(05:42) How to Get MoD Funding for Your Defence Startup
(10:20) Setting a 3-Year Product Development Deadline
(14:38) First Hires: Building a Technical Defence Team
(17:32) The Counter-Drone Pivot That Changed Everything
(27:16) Building Multiple Product Lines with Limited Resources
(33:37) Cracking the US Defence Market: Pentagon to Contracts
(43:37) Product Evolution: From Detection to Protection Systems
(52:47) How Ukraine Validated the Counter-Drone Market
(55:58) The Bridgepoint Deal: Sale to a Major Investor
(01:01:14) Securing NATO Contracts and Future Plans
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Takeaways:
1) Start with a meaningful problem - MyDefence began with a powerful mission: protecting soldiers from roadside bombs after meeting an injured soldier who said "If I just had something on me that could protect me against these bombs, then I wouldn't have been in a wheelchair."
2) Begin part-time if necessary - Dan and his co-founders developed their concept for four years while keeping their full-time jobs: "We had full-time jobs. So this was just on the sideline."
3) Secure proper permission - Before working on their side project, they approached their employer: "We made an agreement with my employer that it was okay." Protect yourself legally before pursuing your startup idea.
4) Leverage existing networks - Their breakthrough with Danish Defence came through co-founder Christian's military connections: "He was a former F-16 pilot and still had active reserve duties. So he could open the doors."
5) Set clear product timelines - "We need a product to build a company within three years. If we don't succeed, then we'll be a project company which is not scalable."
6) Stay adaptable to market demands - Their pivot to drone defence came organically when police and prison services expressed interest: "Drones were smuggling stuff into prisons. And the police had problems with drones flying over crowds."
7) Test early with actual users - "You have to give a very early prototype. You're almost embarrassed to give this away... Go test it out. Tell me what works and what doesn't work."
8) Recognize when to pivot resources - When MyDefence couldn't complete their 3D radar development: "We looked at the bank account and said, out of money. So we needed to focus." Know when to shelve promising ideas to survive.
9) Pursue international opportunities aggressively - After meeting a US general at a conference who gave him a business card, Dan immediately arranged a Pentagon meeting: "Just after we've finalized the MITRE challenge, I'll be in Washington, DC."10) Use professional advisors for major transitions - For their acquisition by Bridgepoint, Dan emphasized expert guidance: "We had a team of three people full-time working for nine months on this case." At critical growth stages, professional help is essential.
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José Mariano Lopez-Urdiales is the founder of Zero2Infinity, an European space balloon company that's been challenging conventional approaches to space access for over 15 years.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, José shares his remarkable journey starting with just €90,000 and a vision for space balloon technology that could revolutionize how we access space. He discusses nearly securing a groundbreaking €5M deal with Vodafone to send Will.i.am to perform the first-ever concert from space, the corporate politics that derailed it, and his unwavering determination despite numerous setbacks. José explains Zero2Infinity's innovative approach to space access through balloon technology, why traditional rockets aren't always the answer, and his passionate vision for a European space industry that leads rather than follows.
Want to get in touch with José? https://tally.so/r/w7e479
Want to invest in Zero to Infinity? https://tally.so/r/mBg8JA
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(00:00) - Introduction
(01:44) - What is Zero2Infinity
(05:14) - The Genesis of Zero2Infinity
(07:08) - Balloons vs. Traditional Rockets
(15:43) - Funding Journey: From €200K to €1.5M
(24:41) - The Vodafone Partnership That Almost Changed Everything
(28:32) - Product Evolution: Elevate, Bloon, and Bloostar
(35:03) - Funding Challenges and Strategic Pivots
(43:43) - Current Status and Future Vision
(53:50) - Rapid Fire Q&A
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Takeaways:
1) Start with your unique insight - Jose identified a market gap: "If we can offer a ride that requires less training, less G forces, less risk... Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Find overlooked opportunities where you have genuine conviction.
2) Begin with limited resources - Jose started with just €90,000, strategically using it for "a team, a patent, a website, and a business plan." Get creative with compensation - he offered future flight tickets to attract talent
3) Look beyond your industry's bubble - Rather than pitching at space conferences, Jose presented at luxury travel fairs. "The market for space tourism is adventure travelers, not space nerds." Go where your actual customers are, not where your peers gather.
4) Secure strategic first investors - Getting Ultramagic (a balloon manufacturer) onboard provided technical validation: "They know the path to get all the permits, the insurance, the certification." Your first investors should bring expertise and credibility to unlock your next steps.
5) Persevere through rejection - "No doesn't mean a no in these situations necessarily." The Ultramagic investment came after multiple rejections. Persistence matters more than perfect pitches.
6) Build demonstration capability before scaling - Zero2Infinity proved their concept with a half-scale prototype before attempting full-scale human flight. Create tangible proof that "we've shown that we float, we can fly this" to convince skeptics.
7) Fundraising is about relationships, not spreadsheets - "When I tried to do a roadshow and pitch to people with a spreadsheet, none of that ever worked." Instead, focus on "increasing the surface of contact with serendipity" through constant networking.
8) Use individual investors to attract VCs - Jose found that venture capital firms followed after their limited partners had already personally invested: "We made it embarrassing for the VCs not to follow their LPs."
9) Find investors who need you - "Go to somebody that needs you more than you need them." Standard VCs have endless options, but partners with strategic interests in your specific solution will fight harder to make you succeed.
10) Corporate partnerships require holistic thinking - The OHB collaboration failed because "I was just trying to win... I wasn't thinking how do I make other stakeholders within OHB need my project." Success requires making partners feel valued, not just proving technical superiority.
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Stanislas Maximin is the founder and Executive Chairman of Latitude, a company valued over €100 million that's putting France back in the orbital launch business after almost 50 years.
In this episode of Rockets and Radars, Stanislas shares his journey from being a self-described "terrible student" with a passion for rockets to building a space company. He discusses the challenges of starting with just €25,000, battling established players, rebranding multiple times, and creating a culture of rapid iteration and risk-taking. Stanislas explains Latitude's approach to rocket development, his philosophy on team building, and his bold vision for a European space industry that can compete globally.
Want to join Latitude? https://tally.so/r/nrg1B5
Want to invest in Latitude? https://tally.so/r/3EAE5q
Interested in the joining Stanislas' New Space conference? https://lesassisesdunewspace.org/discover-the-ans-2025/(8-9 July '25, Paris)
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Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(03:23) - "I was a terrible student" - Stan's background
(05:01) - Why rockets are just really cool
(12:42) - Starting from zero in the space world
(16:34) - The European space market opportunity
(21:13) - Surviving on €25K: The funding journey begins
(24:42) - The messy rebranding story
(30:25) - Almost running out of money before Series A
(35:19) - The drama with Ariane Group and engine testing
(40:14) - Leveling up: From Series A to Series B funding
(44:24) - Fighting against slow European processes
(50:58) - How rocket development actually works
(56:24) - Creating a faster company culture
(01:05:41) - Making micro-launchers profitable
(01:11:15) - The engine test bet
(01:16:52) - Can Europe compete in space again?
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Takeaways:
1) You don't need a fancy degree
- Stan sucked at school but loved rockets enough to start a company anyway. Passion beats credentials every time.
2) Just start somewhere
- Stan had "no experience, no knowledge, no skills, no nothing except a vision and a passion." That was enough to begin.
3) Your first company name will probably suck
- Latitude went through multiple "s*it" names before finding the right one. Don't stress about perfect branding at the start.
4) Incubators actually help
- Stan joined an incubator and called it "a game changer" for learning startup basics when he had no business experience.
5) The first €25K is the hardest
- They started with just enough to hire some interns and couldn't even pay themselves for almost two years.
6) Move super fast as you grow
- "Your ability to build a great product is linked to your ability to improve, to iterate on every part very fast." This becomes even more important as you scale.
7) Build your own test facilities
- When suppliers and partners slow you down, get control of your testing. "We opened a massive test zone" to move at their own pace.
8) Fight against getting corporate
- As they grew, processes got "heavier and heavier." Stan had to actively reshape the culture to stay nimble.
9) Crazy incentives actually work
- Stan bet his team they couldn't test an engine in two weeks, now he needs a tattoo because they delivered faster than expected.
10) Know when your role needs to change
- Stan recognized when to step back as CEO to focus on vision and strategy where he adds more value to the company.
11) Europe needs to dream again
- "Europe has stopped believing that tomorrow is going to be better than yesterday" and space companies need to help change that.
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Daniel Pérez Grande is the CEO of Ienai Space, a Spanish space propulsion startup that evolved from university research into a company pioneering electric mobility for satellites. Beginning with winning the Young Visionaries Award at the International Electric Propulsion Conference in 2017, he built a team that would secure €10 million in funding and put the first European ElectroSpray thruster in orbit.
In this episode, Daniel reveals how he transformed plasma physics research into a thriving space mobility company while surviving on just €12,000 salary and working from a garage. With no initial funding and competitors raising 10X more capital, he shares the dramatic story of nearly closing the business in 2020 before receiving a life-saving grant that same day. Daniel offers critical insights on deep tech fundraising and explains his controversial take on why "space is hard, but propulsion is harder."RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.
Want to get hired at Ienai? https://tally.so/r/m64v6J
Want to get invest in Ienai? https://tally.so/r/wbgr1Z
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
04:10 - "Space is hard, propulsion is harder"
08:38 - Winning the Young Visionaries Award
13:30 - From research to commercial venture
18:24 - Navigating the difficult early years
24:25 - Market research and space industry insights
31:36 - First million in funding journey
38:37 - Doing more with less funding
43:47 - Flight heritage and technical milestones
51:47 - Commercial delivery and dual approach
55:26 - Building a passionate expert team
01:00:34 - The future of Ienai Space
01:05:45 - Quick-fire insights for founders
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Takeaways:
1) Partner with Friends Who Share Your Values
- Daniel and his co-founders were friends from their PhD program who worked well together
- "The fact that we were friends, the fact that we had a personal relationship... I think it's helped with the difficult moments"
2) Expect Near-Death Business Moments
- Ienai Space nearly closed down in early 2020 before receiving critical funding
3) Do More with Dramatically Less Capital
- "We've been able to be on the same level than other companies that have raised five times, 10 times more than we have"
4) Build a Favor Economy in Deep Tech
- Limited resources forced them to get creative with partnerships and borrowing
- "We asked for a lot of favors... had people manufacture things for us for free... had access to facilities for very little money"
5) Master the Non-Dilutive Funding Landscape
- Public funding provided nearly half of their total capital
- "We've raised about €5 MILLION in public funding... Spain has a lot of it"
6) Own Your Critical Technology Components
- Keep high-value components in-house to protect margins
- "Electronics are 50% of the value... if you outsource that technology, it will cut away from your margins crazily"
7) Generate Software Revenue Before Hardware is Ready
- Software tools create cash flow and build trust with future hardware customers
- "If we have software, software is going to be easier and quicker to develop. We can start to generate revenues"
8) Understand Convertible Note Mechanics
- The cap on convertible notes influences your next valuation
- "That cap is going to be used as a reference point for the valuation in your next round"
9) Hire for Hunger Over Experience
- Look for people willing to take on challenges outside their expertise
- "Why do you want to work for a startup instead of Airbus? You could earn probably double what we're paying you"
10) Prepare for Long Fundraising Timelines
- Raising capital takes much longer than most founders expect
- "Never underestimate the amount of time that you're going to take to raise a round... the first round took us a year of negotiations"
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Vytenis is the co-founder of NanoAvionics, a Lithuanian spacetech startup that transformed from a university project into a global player in the nano/smallsat market. Beginning with Lithuania's first satellite mission in 2014, he built a company that would eventually be acquired for €65 million by Kongsberg Group, representing one of Europe's biggest space industry success stories.
In this episode, Vytenis reveals how he turned a university satellite project into Lithuania's first space success story that sold for €65 million. With no business experience and a team of passionate "no-lifers," he built a global company competing against industry giants. Vytenis shares critical insights on hardware startups and explains his controversial take on why building satellites is "just like making pizza".
Want to get hired at Unmanned Defense Systems (Vytenis' new startup)? https://tally.so/r/npz1bZ
Want to get invest in Unmanned Defense Systems? https://tally.so/r/mJox9Y
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Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(05:17) - Birth of Lithuania's first CubeSat
(09:37 - University project to NanoAvionics
(14:35) - Core technology innovations
(21:33) - From small grants to millions in funding
(29:14) - Building a team of dreamers
(39:59) - Strategic expansion into US markets
(44:55) - "Amazon of CubeSats" strategy
(53:00) - €65M acquisition by Kongsberg Group
(59:52) - New startup: Unmanned Defense Systems
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Takeaways:
1) Follow Your Passion Before Business
- Vytenis never intended to build a company; he was simply pursuing his engineering passion for satellites and propulsion systems
- "I never thought that we would sell it... I just wanted to be a simple guy, simple engineer who is fulfilling himself"
2) Create Opportunities to Get Lucky
- The first Lithuanian CubeSat project (Lituanica SAT-1) started as a commemoration of a historical flight but became the foundation for a business
- Multiple "lucky" encounters (NASA internship, NanoRacks connection, email from AST) changed their trajectory
3) Prioritize Mentality in Early Hires
- "Mentality, mentality, can-do attitude. The first thing and I think the only one"
- Early team members were "no-lifers, hard workers" who were passionate enough to work beyond normal hours when cash was limited
4) Solve the End-to-End Problem
- Their key differentiator was offering full value chain solutions instead of just components
- "We offered ourselves as being some kind of the Amazon of the CubeSats... full value chain for the customer"
5) Be Ready to Adapt to Market Evolution
- They evolved from selling hardware components to larger platforms as customer and market needs changed
- Recognized when trends shifted (IoT → Earth observation → fundamental research) and adjusted accordingly
6) Leverage Public Funding Strategically
- Used EU funding (Horizon 2020) and Lithuanian government grants to accelerate growth
- Initial €21,000 grant legitimized their efforts and created "a good precedent to dig deeper"
7) Don't Be Afraid to Exit When It's Best for the Company
- "Selling the control package to some other company is the best what you can do for this company... you have to do that step because it's the best for the company"
8) Find the Right Strategic Partner
- AST and later Kongsberg Group provided critical access to the US market and resources for growth
- "It helped us to enter the market... the United States market, which is also a mystique thing"
9) Only One Way to Test Your Ideas
- His final advice: "There is only one way to find out. Go for it... But fight until the end... Only this is how you find out whether your idea was good or bad"
10) Standardization Creates Efficiency
- His vision for "New Space 3.0" focuses on standardized platforms where payloads adapt to vehicles, not vice versa
- This approach makes the process more economically viable in the long term
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Adrià is the founder of Pangea Aerospace, a European spacetech startup that transformed an abandoned aerospike rocket engine concept into a working engine. Beginning with his passion for propulsion at Airbus, he built a company that recently secured €23 million in Series A funding to revolutionize how rockets are powered.
In this episode, Adrià reveals how he and his international founding team created Europe's first successful aerospike engine that could increase payload capacity by 30-40%. With no guarantee of success, this motocross enthusiast shares his journey of pivoting from full rockets to becoming "the propulsion provider for the future of space industry."
Want to get hired at Pangea? https://tally.so/r/3E6Raq
Want to get invest in Pangea? https://tally.so/r/nPrxPd
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Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(03:11) - Career journey: From Airbus engineer to founder
(09:37) - Technology breakthrough: Making aerospike engines viable
(17:13) - Strategic pivot: Why focusing on propulsion systems was key
(26:22) - Funding journey: From savings to Series A
33:40) - Market validation: How contracts secured investment
(40:42) - Public vs private: Navigating the European space ecosystem
(45:35) - Product strategy: Building a comprehensive propulsion portfolio
(54:27) - Team building: Creating a diverse international culture
(01:00:48) - Vision and advice for space tech founders
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Takeaways:
1) Dive Into Your Engineering Passion
- His deep technical interest drove him from Airbus to founding Pangea
2) Seek Impact When You Feel Limited
- Working at Airbus showed him that his impact was "pretty limited" in a large organization
3) Make Old Technology Viable Through New Methods
- Aerospike engines existed since the 1960s but hadn't flown due to manufacturing limitations
4) Be "Naive Enough" to Challenge Conventional Thinking
- "We were naive enough and blunt enough to actually go that path" when experts said 3D printing aerospike engines wouldn't work
5) Execute Difficult Pivots When Necessary
- Initially started as a micro-launcher company but pivoted to focus solely on propulsion
6) Balance Public and Private Funding
- "In Europe, everyone that has a VC inside and they're cap table, indirectly they're having as well a public institution"
- Public funding provides credibility, private funding creates urgency
7) Be Product-Market Focused From Early On
- His advice for Series A: "Early on talk to clients, customers, what are their needs... I'm doing this engine because Mr. And Mrs. A, B, C, D, and E had told me that they need this"
8) Build a Diverse, Collaborative Team
- "From the six founders that we are, we are three Spaniards, two Italians, one Swedish"
- They now have "17 or 18 nationalities in the team" because diversity "opens your mind on how things have been done"
9) Value Team Cohesion Over Individual Brilliance
- "I prefer having a very solidified team that is able to work together perfectly rather than having the geniuses that can take very impressive ideas, but they're completely unable to work in a team"
10) Embrace Both New Space and Traditional Space Knowledge
- "New Space is here to demonstrate in some areas commercial viability... But we have to learn from those guys because those guys have done it"
- Finding the balance between innovation and experience is critical
11) Build Towards a Bold Vision
- Their mission is to become "the preferred propulsion partner for everything that has to go to space, move into space, and come back from space"
- "We want to become this Rolls Royce of space"
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Marco is the founder of Valispace, that transformed how space, automotive, and defence industries collaborate on complex hardware development. Starting from his frustration with Excel spreadsheets while building Europe's largest satellite program, he created the "GitHub for hardware" that grew from a weekend hackathon to serving over 1,000 engineers before being acquired even before reaching Series A. His journey represents one of the few success stories in the European space industry.
In this episode of Rockets & Radars, Marco reveals the rollercoaster behind his success - from being rejected by an Airbus executive at a pitch competition (who later became his first major customer), assembling a distributed founding team across three countries, and securing funding against all odds.
Want to get hired at Valispace? https://tally.so/r/mez2X0
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Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:30) - What is ValiSpace: "GitHub for hardware"
(03:24) - The problem: 300,000 documents describing one spacecraft
(07:16) - The startup weekend that sparked Valispace
(10:43) - From rejection to validation: The Airbus story
(16:42) - From nights and weekends to full-time founders
(18:30) - Landing the first customer through serendipity
(25:19) - Securing investment from High-Tech Gründerfonds
(28:49) - Building the team: How to find your "raw diamonds"
(31:56) - Expanding beyond space into automotive (BMW as customer)
(35:50) - The art of enterprise vs. startup sales
(42:09) - Product development philosophy: Strong opinions, loosely held
(44:35) - Embracing AI with ValiAssistant
(50:30) - The acquisition journey with Altium
(57:20) - Life after founding: Reflections on the entrepreneurial toll
(01:00:00) - Advice for founders in their darkest moments
(01:03:17) - Quickfire questions
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Takeaways:
1) Start with a Real Problem You've Experienced Firsthand
- Marco identified inefficient engineering practices while working on Europe's largest satellite program at OHB
2) Create Opportunities to Get Lucky
- "You cannot know what comes, you can only create chances to get lucky"
3) The Power of Strong Opinions, Loosely Held
- "We'll never build a requirements management system" → They ended up building one
- Be willing to change direction based on customer needs while maintaining core vision
4) Finding Co-Founders and Early Team
- "We had to find people who were like raw diamonds... who would not have an easy way of getting into a normal well-paid job, but who would be amazing at what they were doing"
- Focus on growth potential: "Do we have the feeling that this is a person that, given six months, will be doing amazing things?"
5) Breaking the Funding Deadlock
- The paradox: Customers want to see a product before paying; investors want to see paying customers before investing
- Use friends and family funding as a bridge to go full-time and develop something substantial enough to attract first real customers
6) Managing Fundraising at Different Stages
- "When you understood how to raise one round, the learning very soon becomes useless because the next round is raised very differently"
- First round: storytelling and vision, Later rounds: growth metrics, retention, customer acquisition costs
7) The Importance of Support Systems During Low Points
- Have people who truly understand what you're going through—in Marco's case, his wife and co-founder
- "If you go to someone else and they have no idea what it is like to build a startup, they will not understand any of the things that are bugging you"
8) Finding the Right Strategic Partners
- Acquisition wasn't initially on their radar but emerged from partnership discussions
- Identify companies with aligned visions where you can become "an integral part of accelerating the future"
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Dimitrios is the founder and CEO of Delian Alliance Industries (formerly Lambda Automata), which is building autonomous defence systems for European defence needs.
In this episode of Rockets & Radars, Dimitrios shares his journey from leading autonomous systems development at Apple to building a defence tech company that raised €7 million to create high-tech autonomous weapon systems for the future of Europe. Discover the ethical dilemma he wrestled with, how he convinced his first investors to bet on him, and the moment he realized that building defence tech was not just a business opportunity but a duty of his lifetime.
Want to invest in Delian? https://tally.so/r/316RoL
Want to get hired at Delian? https://tally.so/r/w4zOVo
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:43) - What is Delian Alliance Industries
(05:34) - Journey from Academic Research to Apple
(06:47) - The Ethical Considerations When Starting a Defence Tech
(12:08) - Why Dimitri Returned to Europe to Start a Defence Company
(17:49) - First Products: Surveillance Towers and Border Security
(24:54) - Core Technologies and Capabilities for Defence
(28:49) - Finding Co-Founders Through Twitter and LinkedIn
(34:59) - Securing First Investment
(38:46) - Transitioning Between Military and Civilian Applications
(43:03) - The Need for Cultural Change in European Defence
(44:46) - Navigating NATO Certification as a Startup
(46:47) - Rebranding to Delian Alliance Industries
(50:08) - Future Vision for European Defence Tech
(51:04) - Quick Fire Advice and Lessons Learned
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Takeaways:
1) The Ethics of Defence Technology
- In a world where adversaries deploy lethal autonomous systems, inaction is the least ethical choice
- European democracies must develop defence capabilities to protect their way of life and borders
2) Finding the Right People Is Your Most Critical Task
- Identify people who can solve problems outside your expertise but share your mission commitment
- Look beyond traditional recruitment: Dimitrios found his co-founder on Twitter and LinkedIn job post
3) Europe Has the Talent but Needs Cultural Transformation
- Europe's engineering talent is world-class, but the ecosystem lacks ambition for hard tech problems
- "If people attempt to build a time machine in the US they'll get funding; in Europe they'll get dismissed"
4) Defence Tech Requires Multiple Core Competencies Under One Roof
- Traditional defence primes fragment critical capabilities across subcontractors causing inefficiency
- Success requires integrating AI, manufacturing, compliance, and financing under unified leadership
5) Start with Deployable Products While Building Core Technology
- Your first product should solve an immediate need while developing technologies for long-term
- Surveillance towers provided immediate revenue and real-world deployment experience
6) Overcoming Perceived Barriers to Entry
- "Incumbents want you to believe you need at least €2 million just for certification"
- Find the right person with expertise who believes in you rather than throwing money at the problem
7) The Future of Defence: Low-Cost, High-Volume Systems
- Global defence is shifting from expensive, exquisite systems to affordable, distributed platforms
- Focus on building systems for real threats in Eastern Europe rather than theoretical capabilities
8) Bringing Silicon Valley Mindset to European Defence
- European defence founders need "a mindset of let's be the best thing on the planet"
- Look for investors who share a global ambition rather than regional satisfaction
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Luca is the founder and CEO of D-Orbit, which is revolutionizing space logistics by providing transportation and servicing solutions for satellites in orbit.
In this episode of Rockets & Radars, Luca shares his journey from being rejected by the astronaut program to building a company that raised more than $200M to create what he calls 'the DHL of space' or 'Space Taxi'. Luca explains how D-Orbit helps satellites reach their optimal positions faster and is working toward an interplanetary logistics infrastructure that will connect Earth, Mars, the Moon, and beyond.
Get intro to Luca: https://brdg.app/s/q10wiq
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction to D-Orbit and space logistics
(01:35) - What is D-Orbit: Space taxi
(02:53) - From wanting to be an astronaut to space founder
(05:16) - The accident that got Luca to Silicon Valley
(06:47) - Silicon Valley reality: Investor walks out of meeting
(09:12) - Early struggles: 4:30 AM breakfasts and rebuilding the business plan
(11:33) - NASA internship: Working alongside the future Planet Labs founders
(15:18) - First funding: €300K for 44% - "Buying a lottery ticket"
(18:33) - Creating a new market: "Like selling pens to people using pencils"
(20:23) - Founding team story: How Renato arrived just in time for the pitch
(26:29) - First prototype: Using €300K to build the decommissioning device
(30:52) - Team sacrifice: Employees buying parts with their own money
(33:37) - Hiring philosophy: Testing candidates outside their comfort zone
(40:54) - European vs. US investors: Different approaches to fundraising
(46:39) - Public funding tradeoffs: Speed vs. dilution challenges
(52:34) - First commercial contract: Strategic discount for Planet Labs
(56:09) - The failed SPAC deal: Dodging a bullet when markets crashed
(01:04:05) - Future vision: Orbital manufacturing and space recycling
(01:09:36) - Ultimate advice: "Think big - you want to change the universe"
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Episode Takeaways:
1) Never Give Up When Creating a New Market
- "If you give up, you have 100% probability of failing"
- Persisted through hundreds of investor rejections
- Turned NASA's skepticism into motivation
2) Hire for Attitude Over Technical Skills
- Use unconventional interview questions to test resilience
- Look for people who stay calm under pressure
- "You can buy competence, but you cannot buy attitude"
3) Master Different Investor Communication Styles
- Study investors' backgrounds before approaching them
- Speak on stages to attract investors rather than chasing them
- European vs US investors require different approaches
4) Be Strategic with Public Funding
- Understand the tradeoffs between speed and dilution
- Public money moves slower but preserves equity
- Institutional partnerships can build credibility with customers
5) Find Creative Solutions During Financial Crises
- Sold office furniture to keep the company afloat
- Team members personally funded critical components
- Make tough decisions like stopping the SPAC process when necessary
6) Use Simple Analogies to Explain Complex Technology
- "Space taxi" makes orbital logistics understandable
- Reframe technical descriptions as Earth-based equivalents
- Clear communication attracts both investors and customers
7) Create a Long-Term Vision Beyond Profits
- Think beyond Earth to interplanetary infrastructure
- "Think big - you want to change the universe"
- Money is just a means to achieve bigger impact
8) Navigate the Inevitable Founder-Investor Tension
- Understand that founder and investor objectives aren't always aligned
- Cycle between fighting for vision and accommodating investor needs
- Build relationships with investors who understand your industry
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Follow Luca Rossettini on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucarossettini/Follow D-Orbit on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/d-orbit
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Even is a co-founder of Glint Solar, which is accelerating the solar revolution by helping developers identify optimal locations for building large solar parks.
In this episode of Rockets & Radars, Even shares his journey from being unexpectedly "kicked out" of the US to founding a company that leverages satellite data to make solar development faster and more efficient. Even explains how Glint Solar helps customers quickly identify suitable land that isn't in conflict with nature for solar development.
Get intro to Even: https://brdg.app/s/cfg21y
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Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction & Glint Solar Overview
(01:50) Journey Before Founding Glint Solar
(04:07) Finding Co-Founders Through Antler
(05:25 Importance of Founder Alignment & Values
(07:23) Using Satellite Data for Solar Development
(09:36) When to Approach Space Accelerators
(11:23) First Funding & Celebrating Frugally
(15:23) The "Sell First, Build Second" Approach
(20:46 Understanding Customer Problems
(22:31) Building Close Customer Relationships
(24:01) Handling Rejection & Persistence
(27:56) Landing Their First Customers
(30:46) Product Evolution & Pricing Strategy
(35:36 Finding & Hiring Early Employees
(41:40) Pricing Experimentation Strategies
(45:31) Pitch Evolution From Seed to Series A
(49:14) Building a Global, Diverse Team
(53:32) Future Plans & Quick Fire Questions
(57:42) Work-Life Balance Advice
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Episode Takeaways:
1) Validate Before Building
- Use the "sell first, build second" approach
- Started by selling PDF reports before building software- "We're not going to build it before we have validated it"
2) Develop Founder Alignment Through Values
- Spend time understanding each other's core values
- "Spend time drilling down into what are some of the core things, like importance in your life"
3) Find the Right Co-Founders for Your Stage
- Look for complementary skills and personalities
- "We were able to play on other people's strengths"
4) Leverage Available Satellite Data
- Use existing data sources like Copernicus
- Join programs that facilitate access to satellite data
5) Build Close Customer Relationships-
Hire customer success early
- "Spend time with customers, ideally sit next to them in their office"
6) Price Strategically and Experiment
- Test different pricing models with small customer segments
- "Be clear on what you're trying to achieve and let that influence your pricing"
7) Create a Diverse Team for Global Impact
- Hire people with non-traditional backgrounds
- "We wanted to make sure that we can build a diverse team"
8) Balance Growth with Family Life
- Set boundaries and protect family time
- "I leave work fairly early... those three hours, those are holy"
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Anthony Baker is the founder and CEO of Satellite VU, which is building the world's orbital thermometer through high-resolution thermal imaging satellites. In this episode of Rockets & Radars, Anthony shares his journey from spending 30 years operating satellites for NATO and Qatar to convincing investors to put £30M into his vision of seeing heat from space.Get intro to Anthony: https://brdg.app/s/00hi6g-----------------------------------------------Timestamps(00:00) Introduction
(06:03) Academic Background & Career Path
(14:08 The Decision to Become a Founder
(20:19) Seraphim Space Camp Experience
(30:32) Product Evolution & Market Focus
(41:39) Series A & Investment Strategy
(46:37) First Satellite Launch & Experience
(49:52) Dealing with Camera Anomaly
(52:06) Future Plans & Constellation Growth
(54:31) Quick Fire Round & Final Thoughts
-----------------------------------------------Episode Takeaways:1) Focus on Customer Problems, Not Space Technology- Went to customer conferences, not space conferences- Learned to pitch to solution buyers, not end users- "We've never really gone to space conferences. We've always gone to customer conferences"2) Use Grants and Accelerators Strategically- Grants provide non-dilutive funding and credibility- Choose specialized accelerators for your sector- "Go big, go specialized on what you need to show some difference at each stage"3) Plan for Survival, Not Just Growth- Plan for cash break-even, not just runway- Have insurance and contingency plans- "We plan for cash break even... we can always survive on where we are now"4) Embrace Pivots Based on Market Feedback- Originally focused on ocean plastic monitoring- Pivoted to thermal imaging based on market demand- "If three people tell you that your pitch is not good for this reason, they're probably right"5) Build Networks Before You Need Them- Leverage industry relationships and reputation- Get into relevant events and meet investors- "The network helps more... if you want more money, you want to hang around friends that have lots of friends with lots of money"6) Move Fast But Be Prepared for Setbacks- Launch quickly but have backup plans- Be transparent with investors about risks- "You have to believe in what you're doing and put 110% in, but also listen to the feedback"7) Think Beyond Traditional Space Applications- Look for high-value commercial applications- Focus on solving real-world problems- "We're opening up new markets beyond the traditional Earth Observation market"
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Thomas Sinn is the founder of DCUBED, which develops mechanisms and deployable structures that need to be small in rockets but big in space. In this episode of Rockets & Radars, Thomas shares their journey from 3D printing prototypes in a basement to shipping hardware to the International Space Station. While growing from a €2,000 prize to a multi-million euro company. D-Cube is making space hardware more accessible by building critical release devices and deployment mechanisms for satellites and space stations.Get intro to Thomas: https://brdg.app/s/5vhet4-----------------------------------------------Timestamps00:00 Introduction08:45 From Academia to Rocket Lab13:20 Starting with 3D Printed Parts18:30 Getting MIT as First Customer27:45 Patent Strategy & Working with IP Lawyers32:40 COVID Crisis & Basement Operations37:15 First Institutional Money40:20 How to find investors48:50 Preparing for Series A Round54:20 Short & Long Term Future Plans56:10 Rapid Fire Questions with Investors1:02:10 Final Advice for Space Founders-----------------------------------------------Episode Takeaways:1) Don't Be Too Secretive About Your Technology- Being too confidential can lose you opportunities- Focus on protecting processes/tolerances, not designs- "If you're too confidential about it... you've already lost the foot in the door"2) Go to Market Early with Imperfect Products- Launch at 80% readiness to get customer feedback- Early market validation is crucial- "Go advertising your products early... sometimes the market assessments we do are wrong"3) Build Your Website Immediately- First MIT customer found them through their website- Put information and pictures online even if not perfect- "Nobody knows what you're doing if you don't publish it somewhere"4) Choose Investors Based on Personal Fit- Getting an investor is "almost like a marriage"- Look for investors in similar companies' portfolios- Get references from other founders about investors5) Time Your Fundraising Strategically- Avoid summer and winter breaks- Aim to close in May/June or mid-November- "You need to consider summer break and winter break"6) Start Global from Day One- Space industry is inherently international- Don't focus only on local markets- "The space industry is global... there's a lot happening all around"7) Balance Visionary Goals with Practical Steps- Started with simple actuators before space manufacturing- Use current revenue to fund future innovations- "We always said we want to follow our dream to do something very big in space"
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Luc Piguet is the co-founder and CEO of ClearSpace, a pioneering company developing technology to capture and remove satellites from orbit, making space more sustainable.In this episode of Rockets & Radars, Luc shares the journey from a research project at EPFL to winning an €86 million ESA mission, making ClearSpace the first European company to attempt satellite removal from orbit.Get intro to Luc: https://brdg.app/s/l5odpn-----------------------------------------------Timestamps
(00:00) The Need for Space Debris Management
(03:10) ClearSpace: A Vision for the Future
(06:03) Challenges in the Space Industry
(08:58) Public Interest and Policy Changes
(11:55) The Origins of ClearSpace
(15:05) Building a Business Model for Space Cleanup
(17:58) The Role of ESA and Initial Funding
(28:13) The Sacrifices of Startup Life
30:10) Navigating the Challenges of Fundraising
(32:12) Strategic Timing and Market Readiness
(34:35) Collaborative Innovation in Space Missions
(36:30) Building a Competent Team
(39:58) Securing the ESA Contract
(41:01) Funding Strategies and Investor Relations
(44:00) The Journey to Series A Funding
(46:14) The European Space Landscape
(49:21) Future Aspirations for ClearSpace
(52:31) Rapid Fire Insights and Challenges for Founders-----------------------------------------------In this episode, we discuss:1. Space Sustainability: Why servicing capabilities are crucial for sustainable space operations2. Clear Space Origins: From EPFL research project to winning an 86 million euro ESA mission3. Team Building: Creating a weekend "Space Club" to attract top engineering talent before having funding4. Funding Journey: From ESA BIC support to raising 26 million euros in Series A5. Personal Sacrifices: Moving from lakeside apartment to two-bedroom flat with family of six6. ESA Contract Success: Securing major mission through strategic partnerships7. Market Timing: Anticipating policy changes around 2025-20268. Technical Innovation: Developing new approaches while working within ESA standards9. European Space Industry: Challenges and opportunities for deep-tech companies10. Future Vision: Plans to increase mission frequency from yearly to monthly launches
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