In 2022, a record 186 rocket launches signaled a space renaissance. On the a16z Podcast, Astranis co-founder John Gedmark discusses satellite innovations, market players, competition, and the mission to provide internet access to 4 billion underserved people. Topics Covered: 00:00: Emergence of the commercial space industry 04:19 - The rise of private companies and startups in space 07:29 - Technological advancements fueling space innovation 09:41 - Geostationary orbit satellites 13:17 - Challenges with operating satellites in geo orbit 15:53 - Earth orbit (LEO) VS. geostationary orbit (GEO) 17:52 - How satellite technology can bridge the digital divide 22:57 - Solving the 4 billion person global connectivity problem 25:40 - Government as a buyer of satellite services 31:29 - The technological updates needed in satellite technology 33:19 - Opportunities in the satellite and space industry Resources: Learn more about Astranis: https://www.astranis.com Find John on Twitter: https://x.com/Gedmark?s=20 Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
There’s a misconception that in order to build a hard tech company you need billions of dollars to even create an MVP. But that’s not always the case. Take Astranis for example. They got their start building a small prototype in an apartment and today they're worth more than a billion dollars and are gearing up to launch four new satellites into space on a dedicated Falcon 9 rocket. We visited Astranis co-founders John Gedmark and Ryan MckLinko to find out how they pulled it off and what lessons they have for founders who want to build a hard tech company of their own. Special thanks to Astranis and Jason Carman for their archival footage. Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/DesignReview-apply Work at a startup: https://yc.link/DesignReview-jobs Chapters (Powered by https://bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 00:00 - Intro 02:15 - What is it? 03:50 - First steps 06:45 - Demo satellite? 09:00 - Scrappy 10:55 - Testing 12:20 - Satellites to launch