Former Disney star Bridgit Mendler is venturing into the space industry with her startup, Northwood Space. The company aims to revolutionize how satellite data reaches the ground by mass-producing ground stations, also known as teleports. Mendler’s vision is to create a data highway between Earth and space, making it easier to send and receive data from satellites. Northwood has already attracted prominent venture capitalists, raising $6 million in initial funding. Mendler is building Northwood with her husband, Griffin Cleverly, who serves as the startup’s chief technology officer, and Shaurya Luthra, the head of software. The company’s goal is to deliver ground stations within days, allowing satellite operators to quickly access the data they need. Initially targeting satellites in low Earth orbit, Northwood aims to resolve the bottleneck in shared ground stations, making it easier for customers to find availability. The startup plans to conduct its first test connecting to a spacecraft in orbit later this year.
Bridgit Mendler, best known for her roles in Disney Channel shows like “Good Luck Charlie” and “Wizards of Waverly Place,” is taking her talents beyond the entertainment industry. After spending several years studying at MIT and Harvard Law School, Mendler has set her sights on the space industry with her startup, Northwood Space.
Northwood Space aims to revolutionize how satellite data reaches the ground by mass-producing ground stations. These ground stations, also known as teleports, are large antennas that connect to satellites in space. Rather than focusing on building rockets or satellites themselves, Northwood’s goal is to make accessing satellite data easier.
Mendler’s inspiration for Northwood came during the Covid-19 pandemic while spending time with her family at a lake in New Hampshire. They began building antennas out of random materials they found at Home Depot and were able to receive data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites. This experience sparked Mendler’s passion for bringing the impacts of space closer to people.
Northwood has already attracted significant investment, with $6 million in initial funding from prominent venture capitalists such as Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, and Also Capital. Mendler is building Northwood with the help of her husband, Griffin Cleverly, who serves as the startup’s chief technology officer, and Shaurya Luthra, the head of software. Cleverly and Luthra bring engineering experience from companies like Lockheed Martin and Mitre Corporation.
The startup aims to deliver ground stations within days, rather than months, to provide satellite operators with faster access to the data they need. Currently, obtaining a dedicated antenna can take up to 18 months. By offering fast production and deployment flexibility, Northwood aims to eliminate this wait time and enable satellite operators to be more responsive to emerging use cases and missions.
Initially, Northwood plans to target satellites in low Earth orbit. The company aims to resolve the bottleneck in shared ground stations, making it easier for customers to find availability. In the traditional model, customers have to check if a site is already rented out, causing delays and limited access. Northwood wants to provide a similar experience to renting server capacity from cloud providers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
Northwood’s ultimate goal is to create a data highway between Earth and space, making it easier for companies to send and receive data from satellites. The startup plans to conduct its first test connecting to a spacecraft in orbit later this year, marking an important milestone in Mendler’s foray into the space industry.
Bridgit Mendler’s transition from Disney star to space industry entrepreneur is an exciting journey to watch. With her innovative approach to improving satellite data access, Mendler is poised to make a significant impact in the space industry. With the support of prominent venture capitalists and a talented team by her side, Northwood Space has the potential to revolutionize how we utilize satellite data.
