Former Disney Star Bridgit Mendler Launches Satellite Data Startup Northwood Space

Former Disney star Bridgit Mendler is stepping into the business world with the launch of her satellite data startup, Northwood Space.

Mendler, known for her roles in Disney Channel‘s ‘Good Luck Charlie‘ and ‘Lemonade Mouth,’ shared her new venture as CEO of Northwood Space, a company focused on building ground stations for satellite communication.

The startup, backed by investors like Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, and Also Capital, aims to revolutionize the data flow between Earth and space, addressing the growing demand for efficient data transmission as the space industry expands.

With a background that includes time at the Federal Communications Commission and studies at MIT and Harvard Law School, Mendler co-founded Northwood Space with her husband, engineer Griffin Cleverly, and Shaurya Luthra, who previously worked at Capella Space.

Mendler revealed that the idea for Northwood Space originated during the Covid-19 pandemic while spending time at New Hampshire‘s Northwood Lake, where she and her family experimented with building antennas using materials from home improvement stores.

The startup’s mission is to streamline the creation and deployment of ground stations to optimize data transfer, especially given the exponential increase in satellites orbiting Earth and the outdated infrastructure for data transmission from space.

Northwood Space plans to conduct its first satellite connection test later this year, aiming to provide faster, more flexible ground station solutions for companies operating in space.