Why Every Satellite Needs Earth | Northwood CEO on a16z

March 24, 2026

Here's something that might surprise you — most of the space industry’s bottleneck isn’t the satellites themselves, but the ground infrastructure connecting them. Bridgit Mendler, co-founder and CEO of Northwood, joins Erik Torenberg on a16z to explain why building better ground networks is a game-changer. She shares her unconventional journey into the space world and emphasizes that vertical integration — owning everything from satellites to ground stations — can unlock faster, more scalable missions. According to Bridgit, modern ground infrastructure isn't just about improving communication; it’s about opening up new opportunities across national security and commercial sectors. This deeper, more reliable connection could really accelerate the entire space economy, making missions more efficient and responsive. As content+a16zpodcast@a16z.com points out, this isn’t just tech talk — it's about transforming how we explore and utilize space. So get ready — if ground infrastructure gets smarter, the possibilities for what we can do in space might just explode. And that’s what’s really exciting.

Bridgit Mendler, Co-founder and CEO of Northwood, joins a16z’s Erik Torenberg to discuss the critical but overlooked bottleneck in space: ground infrastructure. Northwood is building the systems that connect satellites back to Earth, enabling faster, more scalable space missions.

They cover Bridgit’s unconventional path to founding a space company, why vertical integration matters in hard tech, and how modern ground networks could unlock the next wave of innovation in the space economy, from national security to new commercial applications.

Resources:

Follow Bridgit on X: https://x.com/bridgitmendler

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Audio Transcript