Episode 229: Natalya Bailey - CTO & Co-Founder, Accion Systems

I’m excited that there is a renewed interest in space and new goals that seem aggressive, like traveling to Mars for example. But as we’ve witnessed in the past, when the most brilliant and ambitious people work on a challenge, the improbable becomes probable. Natalya is one of these pioneers, who as a child dreamed of becoming an astronaut. She actually applied to NASA twice but was unfortunately denied. Instead, she is using her brilliant mind to build a company in the space industry, which has turned out to be perfect timing because of this renewed interest in space and also the rapid growth of the satellite industry. According to The Hustle, there are about 6,000 satellites in orbit and that number is expected to grow to 50,000 by 2030. Accion Systems is redefining space mobility with the world’s most advanced ion electrospray in-space propulsion systems. To put it simply, the company has built ground breaking technology which helps satellites maneuver while in orbit. The company recently announced a $42M Series C round of funding led by Tracker Capital. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * A discussion around the space industry, the mission to Mars, and civilian space travel. * Natalya’s academic career which ultimately led her down the path to pursue her PhD studies at the MIT Space Propulsion Lab. * The full founding story of Accion Systems with her Co-Founder, Louis Perna, and all the details on their revolutionary product. * How they went about getting traction and raising capital. * Lessons learned from building a company in the space industry. * Natalya’s role as an investor with XFactor Ventures which invests in female funded companies. * And so much more. If you like the show, please remember to subscribe and review us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.