Today, there are an estimated 9,000 satellites operating in space. By 2030, that number is expected to soar to as many as 30,000. Phil Ridley spotted an opportunity in that increase.
The current method of satellite communication typically involves individual satellites beaming information to a dish on Earth to which they are tethered. Over the past three years, Ridley’s startup, Quasar Satellite Technologies — which he co-founded with Dr Ilana Feain — has developed a ground station that it claims can communicate with dozens of satellites simultaneously.
It’s been likened to Wi-Fi for space, mimicking a wireless router’s ability to connect to multiple devices at once.
As Ridley told Capital Brief, the company’s ultimate future lies in the commercial realm. With space becoming increasingly crowded, he believes his technology can help telecommunications, weather, and mining companies cut through the noise and better monitor their operations. However, on the path to that future, Quasar has pivoted to a more immediate opportunity: serving the US government.
This shift has already reaped some reward, but it has also been enormously challenging. As Quasar is accepted into its second US government accelerator program and is on the verge of signing a defence contract, Ridley said the company is also working on a Series A in a “challenging” VC environment.
