Category Visionaries Gary Calnan, CEO & Co-Founder of CisLunar: $5.7 Million Raised to Build the Future of In-Space Manufacturing
Jun 26, 2024
29:19
Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech's most innovative B2B founders. In today's episode, we're speaking with Gary Calnan, CEO & Co-Founder of CisLunar, a space tech company that's raised $5.7 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
- Passion for Space: Gary’s lifelong interest in space led him to found CisLunar in 2017, focusing on industrializing space and creating sustainable human presence beyond Earth.
- Addressing Space Debris: CisLunar tackles the growing problem of space debris by processing it into valuable metals for in-space manufacturing, transforming an environmental hazard into an economic resource.
- Government Support: Winning their first NASA SBIR contract in 2021, CisLunar has also secured funding from the Space Force, DARPA, and the ISS National Lab, highlighting strong government backing.
- Innovative Power Conversion: CisLunar developed a power converter originally for their own use, which has evolved into a commercial product with applications across various in-space systems.
- Market Focus: The company positions itself as a leader in high-power processing for satellites and in-space manufacturing, aiming to be a foundational player in the industrial space economy.
- Survival and Adaptation: During tough market conditions, CisLunar took on contract engineering projects aligned with their strategic goals, showcasing their resilience and adaptability.
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