TechCrunch Startup News Northwood Space secures a $100M Series B and a $50M Space Force contract; plus, AI chip startup Ricursive hits $4B valuation
Jan 27, 2026
A satellite startup lands a $100M Series B and a nearly $50M contract to modernize the Satellite Control Network. Discussion covers phased-array ground stations, scaling portal capacity, and targets for handling hundreds of satellites by 2027. An AI chip company raises massive funding and joins a wave of high-valuation chip and substrate startups.
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Vertical Integration Solves Ground-Station Bottlenecks
- Northwood Space bets that vertically integrated, modern ground stations solve growing satellite data and capacity challenges.
- Consolidating phased-array antennas, software and production under one roof creates competitive value for customers and governments.
Rapid Funding And A Space Force Contract
- Northwood closed a $100M Series B led by Washington Harbor Partners and a $49.8M Space Force contract to upgrade the Satellite Control Network.
- Bridget Mendler framed the dual wins as rapid but intentional growth to meet production readiness and mission demand.
Time Funding To Production Readiness
- Do invest capital deliberately when production readiness and customer demand converge to avoid resource constraints.
- Scale hiring and resources at inflection points so incoming missions aren't blocked by capacity limits.