Commercializing Space Tech - #SFTechWeek
Hosted by
^◡^
^⎵^Building something that works in space is one problem. Getting someone to pay for it is another entirely. The space industry is littered with brilliant technology that never found a market, and quietly powered by companies that figured out who writes the checks.
The Small Steps & Giant Leaps community is gathering for a panel with people who've actually done it: taken space technology from lab, garage, or government program and turned it into a business.
Our panelists will get into the real paths to revenue:
* **Government contracts:** winning work from NASA, the Space Force, and defense agencies, and the reality of navigating procurement, SBIR/STTR grants, and the long sales cycles that can make or break an early company
* **Academic tech transfer:** licensing university and national-lab research, spinning a dissertation into a product, and the messy business of who owns what when breakthrough IP leaves the lab
* **Selling to other space companies:** the picks-and-shovels play of becoming a supplier, where a single component or subsystem can anchor a business as the industry scales around you
We'll dig into how these paths differ, when to pursue which, and the mistakes that sink promising companies: pricing hardware like software, underestimating certification timelines, betting everything on a single customer.
Whether you're a founder mapping your go-to-market, a researcher wondering if your work has a commercial future, or an investor sizing up where the durable businesses actually are, this is a conversation about the unglamorous reality of making money in space.
Come for a clear-eyed look at what it takes to build a space company that lasts.
This event is a part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
Guest List
•‿•
ツ❛o❛Restricted Access
Must be on the list to view event activity & see list detailsAlready RSVP'd? Sign in