Earlier this year, Bridgit Mendler surprised fans by announcing that she would be heading up a new space data startup called Northwood Space. With Northwood, the former Disney star and singer is targeting an often overlooked but crucial part of space infrastructure: ground stations. Mendler will be at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco from October 28-30 to share her insights on this area of space tech.
Ground stations are the key communication points for satellites to communicate with Earth. These giant antennas transmit data from the spacecraft to operators, including information about the satellite's health and data collected in orbit. The number and capacity of ground stations is a looming bottleneck facing the industry, but Northwood has hit the ground running, having secured around $6 million in funding from top investors including Founders Fund and Andreessen Horowitz.
Mendler was known for his roles in Disney's “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Good Luck Charlie” before his career as CEO of a space startup. After leaving film, he turned to pop music production before studying at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Law School. He launched Northwood last year with two co-founders.
Mendler will join us live on the Space Stage at Disrupt 2024. To join her in a fascinating conversation, grab your tickets here , and save up to $600 when you register by August 24th.