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A Former Disney Star Launched a Space Startup Backed by $6.3 million in Seed Funding

Bridgit Mendler, known for her roles in Disney Channel shows such as “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Good Luck Charlie,” has co-founded Northwood Space with the aim of establishing a reliable connection for bringing data from space down to Earth.

Mendler’s journey began with her successful acting career, followed by earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California in 2016 and a Master’s degree from MIT in 2020. Her vision involves creating a “data highway” facilitating seamless communication between Earth and space. With Northwood Space, Bridgit Mendler is poised to make waves in the space industry.

The former Disney TV star and pop singer revealed on Monday that she has co-founded Northwood Space, a startup focused on swiftly and reliably transmitting satellite data from space to Earth.

“Our vision is to establish a data highway connecting Earth and space,” Mendler explained. According to Northwood Space’s website, the company is building infrastructure to expedite the widespread adoption of satellite technology.

As Northwood’s CEO, Mendler highlighted the challenges of sending data to and from space despite the increasing accessibility of space data collection. “Accessing your satellite for communication can be quite challenging,” she noted.

Northwood is addressing this challenge by focusing on ground stations, the antennas responsible for receiving data from satellites, and aiming to streamline their production. The company’s goal is to rapidly construct ground stations within days rather than months, eliminating the need for space companies to construct their own or endure lengthy waiting periods for antenna installation and expansion.

Similar to how companies lease server space from Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure to avoid the costs of building their own servers, businesses would rely on Northwood to access space data without the burden of owning or constructing their own ground stations.

Mendler emphasized the significance of the ground-side aspect, noting, “It’s important because it enables the tangible impacts of space to reach people.”

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