EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (Diya TV) — Northwood Space, a fast-growing satellite communications startup, announced two major milestones this week: a $100 million Series B funding round and a nearly $50 million contract with the U.S. Space Force. The El Segundo-based company is focused on building modern ground-based systems to support satellite communications. Its technology is designed to replace older, bulky dish antennas with smaller, more efficient phased-array systems. These innovations aim to help manage the growing volume of data traveling to and from satellites.
The Series B round was led by Washington Harbour Partners, a Washington, D.C.-based firm with a strong track record in space investments. Andreessen Horowitz co-led the round. Northwood raised the funding less than a year after its $30 million Series A.
Founder and CEO Bridgit Mendler said the funding will allow the company to grow responsibly and meet rising customer demand. “We get customers coming to us all the time requiring a ground solution,” Mendler said. “We don’t want there to be a resource constraint that blocks us from being able to support that mission.”
Mendler called this period an “inflection point” for the business, noting the fresh capital will help expand capacity and accelerate production.
In addition to private investment, Northwood secured a $49.8 million contract with the U.S. Space Force. The project will help upgrade the satellite control network (SCN), which tracks and manages a wide range of satellites, including GPS systems.
The Space Force has faced capacity challenges with the SCN for years. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report noted that limits on system availability could jeopardize critical missions. Northwood’s technology could help solve that problem by providing modern, scalable ground infrastructure.
Northwood’s work is notable because it combines multiple components of satellite ground operations under one roof. The company builds smaller, efficient antennas and integrates them with software and network management tools.
“It’s a hard thing to do. It requires a lot of risk, a lot of capital. It requires a lot of diverse skill sets to come together,” Mendler said. “If we can really think about ground holistically under one roof, then that produces a ton of value for the industry.”
The demand for Northwood’s systems isn’t limited to government customers. Commercial satellite companies, including SpaceX and Amazon, build and operate their own ground stations. Other companies often have to rent space from third-party providers, which can be limited.
Northwood’s CTO, Griffin Cleverly, said the company’s expanded network will help customers scale from a few satellites to dozens or more. Currently, Northwood’s “portal” sites can handle eight satellite links. By the end of 2027, next-generation stations will support 10 to 12 links, with the overall network capable of communicating with hundreds of satellites.
With growing interest in space technology and defense applications, Northwood is positioning itself as a key player in satellite communications. The combination of private funding and government contracts gives the company the resources to expand quickly while maintaining a focus on quality and reliability.
Mendler emphasized that the company is ready for this accelerated growth. “Yes, this is happening faster than we thought — two fundraises in the same year and large sums of capital,” she said. “That’s really what we’re ready for from a production standpoint.”
