Category Visionaries Brian Manning, CEO & Co-Founder of Xona Space: $40 Million Raised to Build the Next Generation of GPS Technology
Xona Space is revolutionizing global positioning technology with a new generation of GPS designed for today's devices and applications. With over $40 million in funding, Xona is developing a constellation of small satellites in low Earth orbit to provide higher precision, stronger signals, and enhanced security compared to traditional GPS systems. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I spoke with Brian Manning, CEO and Co-Founder of Xona Space, to learn how the company is addressing the limitations of current navigation technology and enabling the next wave of autonomous systems to operate safely in challenging environments.
Topics Discussed:
- The evolution of navigation technology from celestial navigation to modern GPS
- How traditional GPS architecture hasn't fundamentally changed in over 50 years
- Xona's approach to building a complementary system with small satellites in low Earth orbit
- The three key challenges Xona addresses: precision, power, and protection
- Why autonomous vehicles and precision agriculture need more reliable positioning
- The company's recent Air Force contract and their focus on both commercial and government applications
- Their upcoming launch of the first production-class satellite in June
GTM Lessons For B2B Founders:
- Validate real-world problems with customer immersion: Brian emphasized getting out from behind your desk to talk directly with customers in their environments. "You can't start a company behind a computer screen... Get out and talk to the customers. It is so enlightening and there's so many things that you will learn that you just never thought of." Understanding how farmers, construction workers, and others actually use positioning technology in the field revealed needs that spreadsheets and assumptions couldn't capture.
- Focus on specific markets when demand exceeds capacity: Rather than pursuing all potential use cases, Xona strategically narrowed their focus. "There are just so many use cases and so many potential applications that our pipeline of interest and demand is kind of so huge that we can't actually pursue all of it." By identifying core markets with early adoption potential, they've maintained a laser focus that maximizes their limited resources.
- Make new technology compatible with existing infrastructure: Xona deliberately designed their system to work with existing GPS receivers. "We've designed our system to be compatible with most GPS receivers, even without making any hardware changes." This approach significantly reduces adoption barriers, as customers can access improved capabilities through software updates rather than hardware replacements.
- Build incrementally toward a massive vision: When tackling something as ambitious as "building a new GPS," Xona broke it down into manageable steps. "We're going to do it one step at a time... You solve one problem and you solve the next. And if you solve enough of them, you're successful." This incremental approach helped them secure ongoing funding by demonstrating clear progress at each stage.
- Articulate the broader impact beyond luxury applications: Rather than positioning their technology as enabling premium conveniences, Xona frames their vision around democratizing access to transformative capabilities. "I'm much more interested in how you get the autonomous ambulance to go drive through the snowstorm when a human can't... How do you take the benefits of precision agriculture... and bring those benefits into developing countries?" This approach appeals to both mission-driven investors and practical customers seeking broader global impact.
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