SATELLITE 2018 Selects 16 Entrepreneurs

Rockville, MD. – Friday, February 2, 2018 – SATELLITE Conference & Exhibition, the largest global satellite and space technology show, taking place March 12-15, 2018 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., has just announced 16 aerospace entrepreneurs to compete in its 2nd annual Startup Space pitch contest on Tuesday, March 13.

Founders and executives from these 16 innovative startups beat out more than 100 applicants for a chance to compete for a prize package that includes guaranteed private pitch meetings with the aerospace industry's most active private investors, (including Xfund, Space Angels Network, MoonshotX and Ubiquity Ventures), feature interviews, free access to aerospace trade shows and more!

The 2018 Startup Space competitors include:

• Cam Hosie, Co-Founder, Thor Launch Systems
• Charles Nahabedian, CEO, VideoKall
• Clinton Cathey, CEO, Optisys
• Colby Tunick, Co-Founder, Director of Government Affairs, Voyager Space Technologies
• Dylan Ng, Business Development Lead, Equatorial Space Industries
• Frank Williams, Jr., Principal, Living Earth Imaging
• Hannah Kerner, Doctoral Candidate, Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration
• Henri Ploom, Co-founder and CEO, RebelRoam
• Jatin S. Bains, CEO, Channel Logistics LLC
• John Martin, CTO, Martin Materials Solutions, Inc.
• Mike Lawton, CEO & Founder, Oxford Space Systems
• Nobu Okada, Founder and CEO, Astroscale PTE
• Omar Qaise, Founder & CEO, OQ Technology
• Richard K. Holmquist, Senior Marine Science Expert, HeraSpace
• Vern Fotheringham, Chairman, Apogee Networks Ltd.

Four competitors with some of the highest scores from the 2017 Startup Space competition were also invited to return to compete a second time:

• Dan Ceperley, CEO, LeoLabs
• Mike Lyons, CEO, Xtronaut
• Christopher Richins, CEO, RBC Signals
• Raz Itzhaki Tamir, CEO, NSLComm

The competition will take place at the SATELLITE 2018 Unveiled Theater located in Exhibit Hall A/B at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. throughout the day on Tuesday, March 13. Each contestant will deliver a 5-minute pitch in front of a panel of investor judges that includes representatives from our prize sponsor firms, as well as Astia Angel Investors, The Center for Space Commerce and Finance (CSCF), Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Raymond James, Starburst Accelerator, and Promus Ventures. The judges will then ask questions and grade each pitch based on the strength of the presentation and the business mode, and the competitor with the highest overall score will receive the grand prize. Startup Space 2018 will also feature guest speakers, including the grand prize winner of the 2017 Startup Space competition, David Shaw, Co-Founder of Astrapi Corporation.

“We’re extremely proud of the diverse and innovative talent that we’re featuring at this year’s Startup Space competition,” said Jeffrey Hill, SATELLITE 2018 Chairman, who launched the event in 2017. “We have competitors from all over the world - from different backgrounds, ages and areas of expertise – all competing for resources that could launch their businesses to the next level in front of the most impressive group of aerospace investors you’ll ever see at an industry event. For one of these competitors, winning Startup Space could mean that they will be able to build a prototype, or obtain seed funding to launch the company, or establish a game-changing business partnership that shapes their future success. It’s one of the most exciting events to see during SATELLITE Week.”

SATELLITE 2018 produces Startup Space in partnership with the Space Frontier Foundation, Ball Aerospace, Harvard Business School Aerospace Alumni Group and Ideanco.

To learn more about Startup Space, please visit our website at: http://2018.satshow.com/startupspace/ or watch last year’s highlight reel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvjtZr9Euv4.

SATELLITE 2018 will be held March 12-15, 2018 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center located at 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. Visit our website www.SATShow.com and sign up by March 9 to secure the Advance Rate discount.

To apply for press credentials, visit http://2018.satshow.com/media-press/.