VC Prices in 90% Attrition. Techstars Bets on 85% Survival | Gabriel Schlumberger | #8

VC Prices in 90% Attrition. Techstars Bets on 85% Survival | Gabriel Schlumberger | #8

Gabriel Schlumberger, Managing Director of Techstars Space, details how his accelerator achieves 85% startup survival. This episode covers the SBIR/STTR reauthorization and its immediate impact on early-stage space funding, non-dilutive capital stacking strategies for capex-heavy space hardware, why $10M is pre-seed in space but Series A in SaaS, the rideshare disruption that broke small launch economics, and why quantum + cheap launch is a force multiplier. Subject Matter Expert: Gabriel Schlumberger spent 12 years as a Techstars mentor before taking over the Techstars Space Accelerator in 2024. Prior to Techstars, he built FITS Frames and held embedded startup roles at Disney and Pixar. Techstars Space runs in partnership with NASA JPL, US Space Force, and SpaceWorks. Portfolio includes Azora (optical ground stations), Ant61 (commissioning failure mitigation), and companies across 70+ countries. Space Terminal: A 1:1 deep dive on frontier tech entrepreneurs (SpaceX, Axiom, Portal, Charter), government leaders (AFWERX, USSF, DARPA, DIU, ESA) and venture capital partners (Sequoia, a16z, Techstars Space). Connect with Imagining Forward: → Intelligence: https://imaginingforward.space [https://imaginingforward.space] → Newsletter: https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com [https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com] → Email: info@imaginingforward.space [info@imaginingforward.space] #SpaceTech #Techstars #VentureCapital #DeepTech #SpaceStartups #DualUse #SBIR #QuantumComputing #EarthObservation #CommercialSpace #Accelerator #DefenseInnovation #SpaceForce #NewSpace #FounderStories

How Charter Space Became the Only Licensed Insurance Broker for Space | Yuk Chi Chan | #7

Yuk Chi Chan, founder of Charter Space, collapsed satellite underwriting timelines from months to days and the insurable asset threshold two orders of magnitude, from $200M to $2M. This technical deep-dive covers the $1.8B in 2023 space insurance losses, why ViaSat-3, Inmarsat, and Astranis dominated the claims ledger, how the 1967 Outer Space Treaty creates state-level liability for private launches, the EU Space Act's harmonization of third-party indemnification, why debt capital won't touch uninsured satellites, and how Charter's acquisition of Plover Parametrics made it the only nationally licensed insurance brokerage built exclusively for the space industry. Subject Matter Expert: Yuk Chi Chan trained in the military, studied space law, and advised governments before founding Charter Space with engineers from NASA JPL, Rocket Lab, and the US military. Charter was a top-5 finalist at TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield 2024 and is actively onboarding its first commercial customers for full-spectrum space insurance coverage. About Space Terminal: Space Terminal is a 1:1 deep dive on frontier tech entrepreneurs (SpaceX, Axiom, Portal, Charter), government leaders (AFWERX, USSF, DARPA, DIU, ESA) and venture capital partners (Sequoia, a16z, Techstars Space). Connect with Imagining Forward: → Intelligence: https://imaginingforward.space [https://imaginingforward.space] → Newsletter: https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com/ [https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com/] → Email: info@imaginingforward.space [info@imaginingforward.space] #SpaceInsurance #SatelliteTech #CommercialSpace #SpaceLaw #DefenseInnovation #VentureCapital #DeepTech #LEO #Underwriting #SpaceEconomy #Satcom #RiskManagement

How Outpost Space Delivers Cargo from Orbit in 90 Minutes | Julie Newman | #6

Julie Newman, VP Engineering at Outpost Space, is building a reusable reentry vehicle that delivers cargo to any helipad on Earth in under 90 minutes with 25-meter precision. This technical deep-dive covers deployable fabric heat shields vs. ablative tile systems, autonomous GNC algorithms for paraglider-guided landing, the Kessler Syndrome risk to the global economy, in-space manufacturing of perfect crystals and fiber optics, the unit economics of scaling from two ham sandwiches to a 10-foot shipping container, and why the US defense procurement unlock required building America's first paraglider manufacturing facility. Subject Matter Expert: Julie Newman's career highlights include Caltech EE, SpaceX, 7 years at NASA JPL (earth observation + Jupiter instruments), Boeing chief engineer for a geosatellite program. About Space Terminal: Space Terminal is a 1:1 deep dive on frontier tech entrepreneurs (SpaceX, Axiom, Portal, Charter), government leaders (AFWERX, USSF, DARPA, DIU, ESA) and venture capital partners (Sequoia, a16z, Techstars Space). Connect with Imagining Forward: → Intelligence: https://imaginingforward.space [https://imaginingforward.space] → Newsletter: https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com/ [https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com/] → Email: info@imaginingforward.space [info@imaginingforward.space] #SpaceLogistics #ReentryVehicle #InSpaceManufacturing #DefenseInnovation #OrbitalDelivery #KesslerSyndrome #CommercialSpace #SpaceEconomy #DeepTech #LEO #FiberOptics #SOCOM #Starship #Reusability

How Spiral Blue Prices LIDAR at $100/km² for 10X Carbon Credit ROI | Taofiq Huq | #5

In this episode of Space Terminal, Taofiq Huq, founder of Spiral Blue, explains how his team survived two near-bankruptcies, restructured management during Techstars, and rebuilt to target 7-day satellite payback periods using LIDAR for carbon farming. This conversation unpacks why 50% accuracy in carbon measurement equals a coin flip, how edge computing cuts satellite power by 10X, and why Starship-class satellites with 300m² solar panels will break traditional Earth observation economics. Key Technical Takeaways: → Starship economics: 250kg satellite = 7-month payback; VLEO + larger optics = 7-day payback at $100/km² pricing. → Unit economics: Carbon credits earn $100/hectare/year; aerial LIDAR costs $300-1000/km²; Spiral Blue charges $100/km² = 10X ROI for customers. → Supply chain: 90% of LIDAR APDs are Chinese; Spiral Blue sources European/US components but remains material risk. → Moat: Drone partnerships for sub-1m resolution today Chapters: 00:00 Teaser: Days From Bankruptcy 00:29 Introduction: Building LIDAR Satellites for Earth Observation 00:39 Earth Observation To Measure Carbon From Space 02:53 Why LIDAR Beats SAR, Optical & Hyperspectral for Carbon Credits 06:57 Why Spiral Blue Pivoted From Edge Computing To LIDAR 12:22 Cofounder Split, Recapitalization & Techstars 14:08 Earth Observation Market Size & Growth Chokepoints 16:33 Drone Partnerships For Data Collection 18:43 Bespoke Carbon Mapping vs Self-Service Platform 19:40 APDs And Chinese Supply Chain Risk 20:19 Edge Computing Reduces Satellite Power by 10X 22:38 Starship, 7-Day Payback Period & Thermal Management 28:49 LIDAR Pricing: $100/km² vs $300-1000/km² Aerial 38:00 Unit Economics: 10X ROI on Carbon Credits 39:13 UK Customer Testing & Hardware Milestones 40:07 Contact Spiral Blue: spiralblue.space [http://spiralblue.space] Spiral Blue Roadmap: → Current: Carbon farming clients; bespoke mapping transitioning to self-service software platform. → 2025: UK customer hardware testing; first operational satellite targeting 7-month payback. → 2026+: Starship-compatible VLEO constellation with 300m² solar panels, 1m resolution, sub-24hr global revisit for defense, insurance, agriculture. About Space Terminal: Space Terminal covers frontier tech economy for an audience that includes, government (AFWERX, USSF, USN, DIU, DOE), and venture capital partners (Sequoia, A16Z, Techstars Space).  Connect with Taofiq Huq, Spiral Blue: → Website: https://www.spiralblue.space/ [https://www.spiralblue.space/] → LinkedIn & Twitter: Taofiq Huq Connect with Imagining Forward: → Intelligence Platform: https://imaginingforward.space [https://imaginingforward.space] → Newsletter: https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com/ [https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com/] → Email: info@imaginingforward.space [info@imaginingforward.space] #SpaceTech #LIDAR #EarthObservation #CarbonCredits #Starship #EdgeComputing #VentureCapital #DefenseInnovation #SpiralBlue #RemoteSensing #ClimateFinance #SpaceStartups

How BSG Underbid Defense Primes by 90% Using AI | Justin Kelley | #4

Justin Kelley, co-founder of Black Sheep Group (BSG), details how his team collapsed DoD signal classification timelines from 2-5 years to 24 hours while underbidding defense primes by 90%. This technical deep-dive covers the training data bottleneck in AI-driven signal intelligence, mixture-of-models architecture for edge deployment, GPS jamming mitigation strategies using cesium clocks, space-rated hardware certification delays, dark ship detection via RF leakage, and the transition from centralized NSA workflows to federated model deployment across forward-operating bases. Subject Matter Expert: Justin Kelley spent 20 years in RF and electronic warfare (USAF, USMC), joined Marine Corps boot camp at 38, and founded BSG to solve the AI training data gap. BSG has won DoD contracts by fusing traditional DSP with AI-native labeling pipelines and is launching a commercial "OpenAI for RF" platform in 2025-2026. About Space Terminal: Space Terminal is a 1:1 deep dive on frontier tech entrepreneurs (SpaceX, Axiom, Portal, Charter), government leaders (AFWERX, USSF, DARPA, DIU, ESA) and venture capital partners (Sequoia, a16z, Techstars Space). Connect with Imagining Forward: → Intelligence: https://imaginingforward.space [https://imaginingforward.space] → Newsletter: https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com/ [https://imagining-forward.beehiiv.com/] → Email: info@imaginingforward.space [info@imaginingforward.space] #DeepTech #RFSignal #SecureComms #satcom #EarthObservation #CommercialSpace #VentureCapital #DefenseInnovation #EdgeCompute #SpaceDataCenters #DataDownlink