Harnessing government support: innovation and growth in the space sector

At Space Foundation’s Innovate Space: Finance Forum, a panel of military and civilian experts discussed the crucial role government funding plays in space, both for seeding and as a customer. 

This panel featured Masseh Tahiry as moderator; Bella Grabowski, Space Defense Industrial Base, SME, SAF/SQXE and adviser to Falcon Research, Inc.; Lars Hoffman, vice president of National Security Sales for Blue Origin; Maj. Gen. Steven Butow, military deputy and director of the Space Portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU); Thomas Gillespie, managing partner for In-Q-Tel; and Sven Eenmaa, director of Investment and Economic Analysis for the ISS National Laboratory.

While companies can receive contracts from multiple government sources at once, Grabowski acknowledged difficulties with Space Force due to it being relatively new.

Eenmaa discussed the role of ISS National Labs, which manages research on the International Space Station (ISS). The office provides financial support to early stage startups for research and transportation. This support allows startups to focus on developing their technologies without the burden of these expenses.

Hoffman emphasized the importance of having a solid business model and the need for government commitment to support commercial investments. Lars highlighted the successful partnership with DIU, which helped accelerate Blue Origin’s development of space mobility technologies.

This panel is one of a series of selections from the Innovate Space: Finance Forum. Click here to see more of those discussions and hear key insight from investors and industry leaders pioneering the new space economy.