Disney Celebrity Bridgit Mendler Turns Space Startup CEO (Image: Instagram/bridgitmendler)
Actress and singer Bridgit Mendler is all set to take on a new role in the space industry. The former Disney Channel star has added the CEO title to her resume with Northwood Space, a satellite data startup.
Bridgit Mendler took to her X handle to announce that her startup has received $6.3 million in funding. “At NorthwoodSpace we have our sights on building a data highway between earth and space. We are designing shared ground infrastructure from first principles to expand access to space,” wrote the former actress on her X handle on February 19. As per this X post, the investors in Northwood Space include Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Also Capital, and Box Group.
Expect the unexpected!
So excited to announce our $6.3M seed led by @foundersfund and @a16z with participation from @CapitalAlso, @LongJourneyVC , @BoxGroup, @humbavc
At @NorthwoodSpace we have our sights on building a data highway between earth and space. We are designing… https://t.co/JwtEuTOTJI
— Bridgit Mendler (@bridgitmendler) February 19, 2024
As per the company website, it was formed in 2023 by Bridgit Mendler, Griffin Cleverly, and Shaurya Luthra. Northwood Space also highlighted on its website that they are designing ground infrastructure from the first principles to accelerate the mass adoption of satellite technology. The company also mentioned that “to meet the needs of today’s space industry, the one-lane rickety road for space data needs to adapt to a ten-lane highway routing continuous traffic across the globe.”
According to a CNBC report, the Disney star has spent the past several years studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Law School. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 2016. Notably, Bridgit Mendler gained popularity with roles on the Disney Channel. This includes the lead role on “Good Luck Charlie.” She was also featured in several other Disney shows.
Bridgit Mendler told CNBC that the actual exercise of sending data to and from space is difficult. As per the report, the space startup aims to mass produce ground stations rather than building rockets and satellites. “For me, why the ground-side matters is because it actually is about bringing the impacts of space home to people,” Bridgit Mendler said, as quoted by CNBC. Northwood Space is reportedly set to conduct the first test connecting to a spacecraft in orbit later this year.
