Every week, new batches of satellites are launched — imaging constellations, global broadband networks, and defense platforms. But no matter the mission, they all share a fundamental constraint in that satellites must get this data back to Earth.
Modern satellites are generating terabytes of data per day. Whether it’s for military targeting, climate analytics, or autonomous maritime routing, that data must be downlinked quickly, reliably, and securely. Yet the infrastructure for ground-based satellite communication hasn’t kept pace. Most ground stations still rely on decades-old architectures.
The result? Latency bottlenecks. Data loss. Missed passes. Delayed insights. Operators are increasingly hamstrung not by their spacecraft, but by the ground.
To industrialize the space economy, we must industrialize the ground. And that’s what Northwood is doing. It’s building one of the most overlooked yet essential components of the space data pipeline: a next-generation, scalable ground station network for the modern space age.
Northwood is re-architecting ground infrastructure as a distributed, cloud-like network of high-capacity sites. The first version of their system — Portal — leverages advanced electronically steerable antennas (ESAs) to track multiple satellites simultaneously without mechanical motion, enabling:
- Multi-satellite support across constellations
- Flexible beams for dynamic maneuvering in space
- Rapid deployment provisioning for new customers and orbital assets
- Reduced latency and increased resiliency in high-traffic regions
Crucially, Northwood’s phased arrays are mass manufacturable, a major breakthrough in a domain where ESAs have historically been limited to niche, defense-only applications due to cost and complexity. Northwood’s vertical integration gives them control over design, fabrication, site deployment, and network orchestration. And their software stack is built with developers in mind, with modern APIs, automated scheduling, and integration hooks for defense and commercial operators alike. This is not just a better antenna, but an integrated ground connectivity platform designed to serve everyone.
Since launching in late 2023, Northwood has operated with uncommon speed and precision — designing, building, and operating their prototype system in only four months. To do this, they’ve quietly recruited one of the most formidable teams in space infrastructure: veterans from places like SpaceX and Palantir, all united by a shared mission to modernize how data moves from orbit to Earth.
Cofounders Bridgit Mendler, Griffin Cleverly, and Shaur Luthra bring a rare blend of technical acuity and operational intensity.They have collectively engineered advanced phased arrays; built and deployed industry-leading ground station software; navigated spectrum policy from inside the FCC; led high-throughput manufacturing efforts; and recruited top-tier specialists across RF, hardware, software, and site operations.
This is why we’re proud to back Northwood in their Series A, following our seed investment last year. They’re not just drafting pretty slides or planning. They’re shipping real systems on real timelines, in one of the most execution-heavy sectors in tech.
If you’re an engineer or operator who wants to shape the future of the space economy from the ground up, Northwood is hiring.
