“ROCKET SCIENCE IS NO EASY FEAT”: FLEET’S CEO ON PAVING THE WAY FOR SPACE STARTUPS IN AUSTRALIA

When Fleet launched in 2015, its three founders faced an uphill battle. They had created an IoT nanosatellite technology startup in Adelaide at a time when Australia’s commercial space sector was practically non-existent and – in the absence of a national space agency – they were told the venture would likely fail.

Fast-forward to today and Fleet is in the midst of a hot streak that has helped give life to Australia’s once-static space startup ecosystem. In less than 12 months, the startup has completed a $5 million Series A capital raise, partnered with French space agency CNES, opened offices in LA and the Netherlands and seen its workforce balloon to more than 20 employees. Most recently, Fleet secured a $500,000 Future Jobs Fund grant from the South Australian Government, giving it the means to create a mission control centre in Adelaide as well as 17 ongoing jobs in IT and advanced manufacturing.

According to Fleet’s CEO, Flavia Tata Nardini, she and her team aren’t just getting started, they have long-term plans to become a unicorn. The Italian-born entrepreneur spoke to Dynamic Business about the startup she co-founded with Matthew Pearson (COO) and Matthew Tetlow (ex-CTO), including the ins-and-outs of Fleet’s core technology, its major wins and the influence its success has had on Australia’s commercial space sector. Read more

James Harkness - Dynamic Business - 16 Feb 2018