Northwood Space is an American defence and space manufacturing company creating the systems that allow satellites to communicate with Earth. It designs antennas, develops network software, builds ground stations and supports commercial and government missions. Founded in 2023, the company is led by Bridgit Mendler, Griffin Cleverly and Shaurya Luthra. Their goal is to replace slow and costly ground systems with a faster, flexible network suited to the modern space industry.
What Is Northwood Space?
Northwood Space Corp. is a private company based in California. It now uses the shorter public name Northwood, although many people still know it by its full name. Its broad headquarters location is Los Angeles, while its main engineering and manufacturing centre operates in Torrance. The company also has roles linked to Washington, D.C. Northwood does not build rockets or run a public satellite internet service. It connects spacecraft with operators on Earth, allowing teams to send commands, check spacecraft health and receive mission data.
Why Northwood Space Was Created
The number of satellites in orbit has grown quickly, yet many ground stations still depend on large mechanical dishes and older operating systems. Traditional infrastructure can take months to install and may require separate suppliers for hardware, software and operations.
Northwood Space brings these parts together. It designs equipment, writes software, manufactures key components and operates the network. Customers can use shared capacity instead of building a complete system from the beginning.
The company wants satellite communication to work more like cloud computing. Mission teams should be able to request capacity and manage spacecraft without owning every physical antenna.
Northwood Space Technology
The company’s system has three main parts: Portal, Prism and Northwood Core.
Portal Phased-Array Antenna
Portal is an electronically steered phased-array antenna. A standard dish must turn physically to follow a satellite. Portal directs radio beams electronically, allowing faster movement and several links at once.
Portal Capabilities
Portal supports satellites in low, medium and geostationary Earth orbits. Northwood states that one Portal site can provide the capacity of up to 12 traditional dishes. It has demonstrated one kilowatt of transmission power while receiving extremely weak signals. Its modular design allows extra faces when a mission needs more power, wider coverage or more beams.
This technology can support commercial satellite groups, defence missions and emergency spacecraft control. It can also help operators communicate with several satellites without installing a separate dish for every connection.
Prism High-Throughput Antenna
Prism is a 2.4-metre parabolic antenna created for large data transfers. It complements Portal rather than replacing it. Portal focuses on flexible tracking and multiple beams. Prism focuses on high-speed downloads and heavy data services.
Prism Uses
Prism supports S-band, X-band and Ka-band communications. It can serve Earth observation, defence, communications and future computing systems in orbit. The antenna can download images, weather data, scientific records and communications traffic. Later versions are planned to support speeds above 100 gigabits per second. Prism may become especially valuable as satellites collect larger amounts of data. Modern imaging systems, climate sensors and communication payloads need fast connections to move their data back to Earth.
Northwood Core Software
Northwood Core connects the company’s antennas and ground sites. It schedules satellite contacts, selects suitable stations, manages equipment and routes data. The software makes many physical sites operate as one network. It also helps customers manage spacecraft across different orbits without dealing with each antenna separately.
A spacecraft may only remain visible from one ground location for a short period. Northwood Core can move the connection between different sites as the satellite travels across the sky. This shared system is an important part of the company’s long-term plan. It allows Northwood to provide communication services without requiring every customer to own and operate ground equipment.
Northwood Space Quick Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Company name | Northwood Space Corp. |
| Public brand | Northwood |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Industry | Defence and space manufacturing |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Main facility | Torrance, California |
| Founders | Bridgit Mendler, Griffin Cleverly, Shaurya Luthra |
| Chief executive officer | Bridgit Mendler |
| Main products | Portal, Prism, Northwood Core |
| Main service | Satellite ground communication infrastructure |
| Confirmed funding | At least $136.3 million |
| Major contract | $49.8 million US Space Force contract |
| Website | www.northwoodspace.io |
Testing and Early Achievements
Northwood Space built its first phased-array prototype in only a few months. The antenna was named Frankie. Frankie completed a two-way communication test with Planet Labs satellites. It tracked an active spacecraft, received data and sent signals back during the pass. The test proved that the early design could work with a real commercial satellite.
Northwood later moved into a 35,000-square-foot manufacturing site in Torrance, where it produces Portal arrays and other network equipment. Its rapid installation model can help customers begin work sooner. The company has also worked to improve production speed. Building equipment in-house gives it greater control over design changes, quality and delivery schedules.
Network Growth and Global Plans
By June 2026, Northwood Space said it operated five sites across two continents. Industry coverage connected these locations with 14 deployed antennas. The company plans to expand to more than a dozen sites, with at least 10 gigabits per second of capacity at each location. Its longer-term target is more than 20 terabits per second by 2028.
These are future goals and depend on manufacturing, licensing and customer demand. The exact location of every station has not been released. Ground stations must follow national communication laws and spectrum rules. Northwood may also need land agreements, security approval and reliable internet connections before opening each site.
Northwood Space Funding
Northwood has raised at least $136.3 million through three major investment rounds.
Seed Funding
The company secured $6.3 million from investors including Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, Also Capital, Long Journey Ventures, BoxGroup and Humba Ventures. This early funding helped the founders develop prototypes, recruit engineers and prepare the business for commercial operations.
Series A
In April 2025, Northwood raised $30 million. Alpine Space Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz led the round. The money supported manufacturing, staff growth and the first operational network.
Series B
In 2026, the company raised $100 million. Washington Harbour Partners led the round, with Andreessen Horowitz as co-lead. Other backers included Alpine Space Ventures, Founders Fund, StepStone, Balerion, Fulcrum, Pax and 137 Ventures. Northwood remains privately owned. It has no public stock ticker, confirmed public valuation or announced stock market date.
The size of these funding rounds shows strong investor confidence. However, building and operating ground stations across different countries requires major spending. The company must use its capital carefully while expanding its network.
Northwood Space and the US Space Force
A major milestone was a $49.8 million contract with the United States Space Force. The work supports the Satellite Control Network, which helps the US government track and command military, intelligence, civil and allied spacecraft. It also supports launches, routine operations and emergency contact. Northwood said it prepared communication links for operations within three months of the contract being signed.
The company has also described work connected with DARPA, the Space Development Agency, the Department of the Air Force and Space Systems Command. Full terms for every government programme have not been released. Defence projects can involve strict security rules, technical checks and long approval processes. The Space Force agreement gives Northwood an important position in the national security space sector. It also provides a chance to prove that its systems can handle sensitive and demanding missions.
Founders and Leadership
Bridgit Mendler
Bridgit Mendler is co-founder and chief executive officer. She became known through acting and music before moving into law, technology and space communications. She studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed a law degree at Harvard. She leads strategy, fundraising, partnerships and regulatory work. Mendler developed a deeper interest in satellite communication while experimenting with antenna equipment with her family. This experience helped inspire the creation of the company.
Griffin Cleverly
Griffin Cleverly is co-founder and chief technology officer. He has an engineering background and leads hardware and technical development. He is also Mendler’s husband. The couple worked together on early antenna experiments before launching the business.
Shaurya Luthra
Shaurya Luthra is co-founder and head of software. He oversees the systems that schedule contacts, manage antennas and operate the wider network. His work is central to Northwood Core, which joins individual ground stations into a single controlled system.
Employees, Careers and Locations
LinkedIn places Northwood in the 51 to 200 employee range. The number of associated members should not be treated as an audited staff total. The company hires engineers, software developers, manufacturing staff, mission managers, legal experts and business teams. Torrance supports technical work, while Washington, D.C. supports government and policy work. The company’s growth depends on skilled staff in radio-frequency engineering, electronics, software, cybersecurity and aerospace operations.
Competition and Challenges
Northwood Space competes with AWS Ground Station, KSAT, Leaf Space, Atlas Space Operations, Azure Orbital, Viasat Real-Time Earth and RBC Signals. Its strengths include in-house manufacturing, phased-array technology, software control and fast deployment.
However, larger rivals already operate mature international networks. Northwood must also manage spectrum licences, permits, cybersecurity, production costs and strict government standards. Equipment must remain dependable in difficult climates and remote locations. A failure at one station could interrupt communication during an important satellite pass. Long-term success will depend on reliable service, steady expansion and strong customer support.
The Future of Northwood Space
Northwood Space has gained major financial support, completed real satellite tests, developed two antenna systems and secured an important Space Force contract. Its next stage will focus on expanding ground sites, increasing data capacity and gaining more commercial and government customers. If the company meets its technical goals, it could become a major part of the modern space economy. Its work may help satellite operators move faster, reduce infrastructure costs and maintain stronger links with spacecraft across several orbits.
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