How I Made It ‘It's the Mount Everest of careers’: How Fleet’s CEO built an $800m company
Nov 16, 2025
Flavia Tata Nardini, the visionary founder and CEO of Fleet Space Technologies, discusses her journey from a childhood obsession with space in Rome to launching an $800 million aerospace company in Australia. She reveals how a lack of local opportunities sparked her entrepreneurial spirit and led to innovative projects in satellite technology and subsurface mapping for mining. Flavia also shares insights on overcoming launch setbacks, her ambitious plans for lunar expeditions, and her belief in human settlements on the Moon and Mars within our lifetimes.
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From ESA To Adelaide: A Personal Pivot
- Flavia moved from working on rockets at ESA to Adelaide for love and found no local space industry to join.
- She faced postnatal depression and career uncertainty before deciding to start companies locally.
LaunchBox Pivoted Into Fleet
- Flavia and Matt started LaunchBox to help kids launch 3D-printed satellites and then pivoted to Fleet focusing on small telecom satellites.
- The pivot came from wanting a commercial product and staying in Australia to build space capability.
Regulation Timing Became A Strategic Edge
- A regulatory timing change let Fleet secure frequency for a whole constellation with minimal funds.
- Being at the right time and spot turned a tiny pre-seed into a strategic advantage.