Podcasts about swarm technologies

As the four Starling spacecraft drift into position, they will test the swarm technologies that are essential for future deep space missions.

Swarm, the Internet-of-Things connectivity provider that was acquired by SpaceX, will no longer be selling new devices, according to an email sent to customers earlier this month. 

Today's guest is Dr. Evan Thomas, CEO and Founder of Virridy, and Director of the Mortensen  Center in Global Engineering & Resilience and the Climate Innovation Collaboratory at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Evan is also a tenured Associate Professor in the CU Boulder Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department. So, he's a busy guy.  Virridy' s water sensors monitor and measure groundwater pumping for more than 4 million people in the East African countries of Kenya and Ethiopia and the American West. The company's partners include the National Science Foundation (NSF), USAID, The World Bank, NASA, the Millennium Water Alliance, Swarm Technologies, The Freshwater Trust, Wexus Technologies and the Kenyan government.We've had a few conversations on the pod recently at the intersection of water and climate change. Jason spoke with Felicia Marcus of Stanford's Water in the West program, and Cody talked to David Wallace of CODA Farm Tech. It's worth noting some of the key learnings up to this point. For starters, conversations about water are nuanced. Droughts, floods, sea level rise, irrigation, stormwater systems, clean drinking water, etc… all have water as a common thread, but are each enormously separate topics on their own. And while most of the problems and challenges with water existed before climate change, they have accelerated faster than anyone anticipated. Evan is pursuing two different business models in East Africa and the U.S., albeit with the same tech stack. In the former, he primarily seeks to earn avoided emissions carbon credits by monitoring the activity of groundwater pumps and the cleanliness of the water they produce, and ensuring access to clean drinking water without the need to burn fuels to heat and purify it. In the American West, he is participating in the demand response economy, helping water utilities shut down their groundwater pumps and conserve electricity during times of peak grid demand.Evan and Cody have a fantastically nuanced conversation, tackling subjects as diverse as the outcomes of COP27 as it relates to climate justice, his background at NASA and how it informed his approach to earth science, how he runs a company while also being a university professor, how carbon credit financing works, and of course the differences in how climate change is accelerating droughts in East Africa and the American West, and what that means for the water systems in each geography. Get ready to dive in a learn a ton!  In this episode, we cover: [4:12] Evan's background in water systems in space and rural communities[8:28] Applying carbon credits to clean drinking water[10:50] Evan's partnership with Life Straw and academic and entrepreneurial experience[12:20] Similarities and differences between the American West and East Africa in terms of climate change and water[18:36] Groundwater in East Africa vs. California and purification requirements[24:10] Virridy's solution and technology[26:22] The company's carbon credit methodologies in Africa[28:31] Financial incentives and carbon offset endorsements from COP27 in Egypt[32:11] Virridy's different business model in the U.S.[37:48] How Evan manages Virridy's different markets[42:59] Applying Virridy's tech to soil carbon[46:23] The company's funding to date and an overview of pre-selling carbon creditsGet connected: Cody's TwitterDr. Evan Thomas / VirridyMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on November 28, 2022.

Previously plagued by spotty connection, satellite connectivity provides a more stable worldwide option for IoT devices to stay connected. Sara discusses key points in the industry, such as the current landscape, the biggest values, and the future of satellite IoT connectivity.Sara Spangelo is a former co-founder and CEO of Swarm and current senior director of satellite engineering at SpaceX. Before founding Swarm, Sara worked on small satellites and autonomous aircraft at the University of Michigan. She was a lead systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) and Google X. Her expertise is modeling and optimizing satellite constellations to maximize impact and business opportunities. Sara holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan and, in 2017, was a Top 32 Canadian astronaut candidate.Swarm's mission is to connect people and devices from anywhere in the world, at all times, at the lowest cost. Swarm Technologies is based in the US and has about 40 employees today. The company currently has over 160 satellites in LEO, providing 100% global coverage. Swarm has full regulatory approval from the FCC to operate commercially in the US and is also commercially approved in 15+ countries worldwide. Swarm intends to continue launching satellites over time as necessary to maintain and expand its satellite network. Swarm's satellites are a 1/4U in size and have a mass of 400 grams with an average lifetime of 4 years. Swarm's uniquely small satellites enable the company to provide network services and user hardware at the industry's lowest costs while delivering maximum value to customers across various industries. These industries include agriculture, energy, environmental monitoring, maritime shipping, and ground transportation, providing the highest value for low bandwidth IoT use cases such as asset tracking and sensor monitoring. Swarm Technologies offers a hardware product called the M138 Modem, a satellite modem that can be integrated into user devices. SweetSense is an example of a client implementing Swarm connectivity for its water monitoring devices. With Swarm, SweetSense has been able to save 5x versus what they were previously paying for a legacy satellite solution. The Swarm M138 Modem is currently on sale for US $59-89 until November 30, 2022, and the data plan costs US $5 per month. The data plan provides users with up to 750 packets/month with a maximum packet size of 192 bytes. Swarm just launched the Swarm [Asset Tracker], which offers an end-to-end solution for tracking equipment, vehicles, and other remote assets. The Swarm Asset Tracker functions worldwide using Swarm's global satellite network and is ideally suited for remote locations that lack terrestrial network coverage.

An interview with Rahul Rughani,  systems engineer for Arkisys, a company building an autonomous research outpost in low Earth orbit.  Rahul has a Bachelor's of Engineering degree in Mechanical engineering from McGill University, with a concentration in Aeronautics. He also holds both PhD and Master of Science degrees in Astronautical engineering from the University of Southern California. His specialization is on orbital optimization techniques for spacecraft swarms. The focus of his research is to enable in-orbit manufacturing, satellite aggregation, and close-quarters robotic inspection of spacecraft, using swarms of small and medium sized satellites in Earth orbit. He has worked as a systems engineer on CubeSat projects and has performed in-depth analysis of past, present, and future methods of spacecraft Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) through funding provided by DARPA. In this interview we will learn about how swarm technologies can someday build huge infrastructures in space, help with space debris, and create factories on orbit, the Moon and Mars.Resources:Space Mission Analysis and Design by Wiley LarsonOrbital Mechanics for Engineering Students by Howard Curtis.SpaceNews, space news websiteScience Fiction Books:Dune by Frank HerbertThe Expanse Book Series by James S. Corey (Also a TV series on Amazon)Hosted by: Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom, Co-Founder and CEO, SpaceBaseMusic: reCreation by airtone (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons (3.0)If you like our work, please consider donating to SpaceBase through The Gift Trust or RSF Social Finance (for US charitable donations) and indicate "SpaceBase" gift account. Or be a SpaceBase Patreon sponsor!Support the show

Visit our sponsor: http://www.CalgaryAgbusiness.com Over the past couple of weeks, two former guests of this podcast, Vence and TeleSense, have announced that they have been acquired. This prompted a random idea in my head to do an episode called 10 former guests that have been acquired. But I first wondered: have there even been ten yet? A quick scan of previous episodes and a little bit of Googling revealed that there have been at least 10 that have been acquired in some form or fashion.  So I spent a day going back through and re-listening to each of their episodes, researching when they were acquired and by whom, and trying to pull out insights that might indicate what about these companies allowed them to get to the finish line so to speak. That's what I have to share with you today.  Vence, acquired by Merck Animal Health FoA 246: Unlocking Grazing Potential with Virtual Fencing https://open.spotify.com/episode/0NT9F695WJRmUAcUCEleKT?si=dJ2uquAERvujkUWWa7qa0A (https://open.spotify.com/episode/0NT9F695WJRmUAcUCEleKT?si=dJ2uquAERvujkUWWa7qa0A)  FoA 308 (Startup Spotlight features Vence at the end of the episode) https://open.spotify.com/episode/3yHmD4onWH7DZb7wKWSi44?si=VG4HzoD1SxmYvdUrkgMYkQ (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3yHmD4onWH7DZb7wKWSi44?si=VG4HzoD1SxmYvdUrkgMYkQ)  Merck Animal Health to Acquire Vence https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220922005501/en/Merck-Animal-Health-to-Acquire-Vence (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220922005501/en/Merck-Animal-Health-to-Acquire-Vence)  TeleSense, acquired by UPL (Decco Post Harvest) FoA 239: Sensors for Predicting Grain Quality with Naeem Zafar of TeleSense https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JxVEuUQq9NjufgLXrOlZR?si=3K3UWVLFQvqbHzf_oH99tg (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JxVEuUQq9NjufgLXrOlZR?si=3K3UWVLFQvqbHzf_oH99tg)  UPL's Post-Harvest Solutions Subsidiary, Decco Post Harvest, Acquires TeleSense to Strengthen Offering to Combat Food Waste  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/upls-post-harvest-solutions-subsidiary-decco-post-harvest-acquires-telesense-to-strengthen-offering-to-combat-food-waste-301626128.html (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/upls-post-harvest-solutions-subsidiary-decco-post-harvest-acquires-telesense-to-strengthen-offering-to-combat-food-waste-301626128.html)  SWARM Technologies, acquired by SpaceX FoA 228: Solving the Rural Connectivity Problem with Dr. Sara Spangelo of SWARM Technologies https://open.spotify.com/episode/4aiIkwElCMh2wyJjs46vaA?si=U14f6XkgTQqHRwmNskdehw (https://open.spotify.com/episode/4aiIkwElCMh2wyJjs46vaA?si=U14f6XkgTQqHRwmNskdehw)  SpaceX to acquire SWARM https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/09/spacex-to-acquire-satellite-connectivity-startup-swarm-technologies/ (https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/09/spacex-to-acquire-satellite-connectivity-startup-swarm-technologies/)  SWARM continues to aim skyward one year after SpaceX deal https://www.fierceelectronics.com/iot-wireless/swarm-continues-aim-skyward-one-year-after-spacex-deal (https://www.fierceelectronics.com/iot-wireless/swarm-continues-aim-skyward-one-year-after-spacex-deal)  Harvest Profit, acquired by John Deere FoA 080: Bootstrapping a Farm Management Software Company with Nick Horob of Harvest Profit https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rj3IUMkpgLaugMeZdeRHr?si=6CohmDmOTPWdVCTLepN8AQ (https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rj3IUMkpgLaugMeZdeRHr?si=6CohmDmOTPWdVCTLepN8AQ)  John Deere has acquired Harvest Profit, provider of farm profitability software https://www.deere.com/en/news/all-news/2020nov12-harvest-profit-acquisition/ (https://www.deere.com/en/news/all-news/2020nov12-harvest-profit-acquisition/)  PastureMap, acquired by Soilworks Natural Capital FoA 064: Technology for Grazing Management with Byron Palmer and Christine Su of PastureMap https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xM2A3U9dFrHXaEMZgHEFq?si=UmsJcyH_QHCpplP1aHq2HQ...

Hoy con Pontón en MVS, tuvimos una extensa exposición a la ñoñería, directa desde uno de sus máximos exponentes: Manuel López Michelone. Y como cada viernes, Densho nos compartió las novedades en videojuegos y otras cosas. 

Car-sharing startup Turo has filed confidentially for an IPO; Instagram tests ads in its Shop tab; SpaceX to acquire satellite connectivity startup Swarm Technologies

The ROI Overload Newsletter is the #1 daily newsletter analyzing growth trends & strategy, business, startups, and technology. Join 40,000 subscribers here. https://newsletter.roioverload.com/subscribe. This is an audio recording of the reading of the ROI Overload Newsletter for the newsletter audio podcast. YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/scottdclary Tweet Me: https://twitter.com/scottdclary

My guest this episode is the co-founder and CEO of Swarm Technologies, Dr. Sara Spangelo. We discuss a wide array of important topics including how connecting the over 3 billion people who do not have access to an internet connection will lead to solutions we never dreamed of coming from places we never heard of.

On this episode of Think Like a Founder, SNP Co-Founder & CEO Maureen Taylor speaks with Dr. Sara Spangelo, Co-Founder and CEO of Swarm Technologies. They talk about training to be an astronaut, keeping calm when things get tough, and making satellites the size of a grilled cheese sandwich.Swarm makes low-cost satellites. With only 10% of the Earth having access to cell and WiFi service, they’re dedicated to reducing barriers for connectivity in remote areas across the entire planet. Prior to founding Swarm Technologies, Sara was a lead systems engineer at Google X and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. She also worked on small satellites and autonomous aircrafts at the University of Michigan.Think Like A Founder is produced by SNP Communications in San Francisco, California. Learn more about the Think Like a Founder podcast and curriculum by visiting us at https://now.snpnet.com/tlaf or connect with Maureen Taylor on LinkedIn to continue the conversation there. Series Producer: Roisin HuntSound Design: Marc Ream Content and Scripting: Mike Sullivan and Jaselin DrownProduction Coordinator: Natasha ThomasThanks also to Selena Persiani-Shell, Jordan Bailey, Matt Johnson, Eli Shell, John Hughes, and Renn Vara.

Rural locations often have limited connectivity to cellular data. Dr. Sara Spangelo is the CEO and co-founder of Swarm Technologies. Their company launches constellations of small, sandwich-sized, low cost, two-way satellites into lower orbit space to provide affordable global connectivity.  Different space programs offer them access to launching their devices including Space-X and Vega among others.  “That will provide us with a network of 150 satellites for global continuous coverage - covering every point on earth at all times and essentially providing a lower cost version of existing networks.” - Dr. Sara Spangelo Swarm technologies is finding a home in agriculture technology as a solution to poor cellular connection. Sensor type devices will be able to send data continuously to producers at a reasonable cost. The business itself involves the acquisition of a modem that would then get embedded into a third party device. Users are then charged based on their data volume. The target customer is agriculture technology companies to have their technology incorporated into their devices with the end consumer being the producers. “90% of our world has no connectivity except for these very prohibitively expensive solutions. And that’s really what Swarm is trying to solve for, that 90%, at an affordable point.” - Dr. Sara Spangelo Dr. Spangelo recommends any interested companies contact them soon. Their connectivity capacity is limited so getting in line early may prove significant. Swarm Technologies is already working on the next iteration of their technology to provide more to their customers. The satellites function for 4 years before experiencing complete destruction upon entering earth's atmosphere giving them the opportunity to continually replace their equipment without any additional pollution in space.  Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a startup spotlight featuring Bloomfield Robotics CEO Mark DeSantis. Bloomfield uses artificial intelligence to help producers learn more about their crop conditions.  “We’re creating a massive digital database of plant phenotypes.” - Mark DeSantis This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast: Meet Dr. Sara Spangelo, CEO and co-founder of Swarm Technologies Explore the connectivity their technology in space satellites can offer remote areas Learn about the process of launching satellites and find out what makes Swarm Technology unique in the connectivity space “Startup Spotlight” featuring Mark DeSantis of Bloomfield Robotics Join the FOA Community! Be sure to join the new Future of Agriculture Membership for even more valuable information on the future of the ag industry. Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website

Twitter- @bluehelmco Instagram - @bluehelmco (https://www.bluehelmco.com) Sponsor- (https://hopeschest.com) On this Day Headlines- 1) Small air leak on space station traced to Russian service module a.(https://www.space.com/international-space-station-air-leak-russian-module) 2) Kepler launches first internally produced satellites a.(https://spacenews.com/kepler-launches-first-internally-produced-satellites/) 3) Swarm Technologies reveals plan to connect devices for $5 per device per month a.(https://spacenews.com/swarm-reveals-prices/) 4) Mars Express Spacecraft Has Discovered Liquid Water Ponds Buried Under the Martian Surface a.(https://scitechdaily.com/mars-express-spacecraft-has-discovered-liquid-water-ponds-buried-under-the-martian-surface/) 5) United Arab Emirates to launch spacecraft to moon in 2024 a.(https://phys.org/news/2020-09-arab-emirates-spacecraft-moon.html) Law and policy- 1) CREW-1 LAUNCH NOW ON OCTOBER 31 — 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST ISS CREW a.(https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/crew-1-launch-now-on-october-31-20th-anniversary-of-the-first-iss-crew/) ** WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SPACE POLICY September 27—Oct 3, 2020 a. (https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-happening-in-space-policy-september-27-october-3-2020/) Events- 2)September 2020 Space Calendar of Events a.(http://spaceref.com/calendar/) 3) Launch Calendar a. (https://www.space.com/32286-space-calendar.html

[vc_row][vc_column width="4/5"][vc_column_text] A brief and honest exchange between Sara Spangelo, Co-Founder and CEO of Swarm Technologies, and Bill Ford Jr., Chairman of the Board for Ford Motor Company. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/5"][vc_row_inner css=".vc_custom_1551208959067{border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-right: px !important;padding-left: 30px !important;border-left-color: #d3d3d3 !important;border-left-style: solid !important;}"][vc_column_inner css=".vc_custom_1551209510648{margin-top: -100px !important;}"][vc_custom_heading text="Related Episodes" font_container="tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23000000" use_theme_fonts="yes" css=".vc_custom_1581023171951{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-left: 5px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-bottom-color: #d3d3d3 !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}"][vc_column_text] What Kobe Bryant's death means to the future of urban air mobility Would you participate on a MANEL or WANEL? [/vc_column_text][vc_facebook css_animation="flipInX"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="4/5"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/5" css=".vc_custom_1579794380339{padding-left: 30px !important;}"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator align="align_left" style="shadow" border_width="2" el_width="70"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text] ***** Wisco Weekly ***** New Business Models for the Mobility of People and Goods. Become a Fan. Soon, become a Member. Subscribe for now. ✌(-‿-)✌ [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width="4/5"][vc_column_text] A brief and honest exchange between Sara Spangelo, Co-Founder and CEO of Swarm Technologies, and Bill Ford Jr., Chairman of the Board for Ford Motor Company. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/5"][vc_row_inner css=".vc_custom_1551208959067{border-left-width: 2px !important;padding-right: px !important;padding-left: 30px !important;border-left-color: #d3d3d3 !important;border-left-style: solid !important;}"][vc_column_inner css=".vc_custom_1551209510648{margin-top: -100px !important;}"][vc_custom_heading text="Related Episodes" font_container="tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23000000" use_theme_fonts="yes" css=".vc_custom_1581023171951{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-left: 5px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;border-bottom-color: #d3d3d3 !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}"][vc_column_text] What Kobe Bryant's death means to the future of urban air mobility Would you participate on a MANEL or WANEL? [/vc_column_text][vc_facebook css_animation="flipInX"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="4/5"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/5" css=".vc_custom_1579794380339{padding-left: 30px !important;}"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator align="align_left" style="shadow" border_width="2" el_width="70"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text] ***** Wisco Weekly ***** New Business Models for the Mobility of People and Goods. Become a Fan. Soon, become a Member. Subscribe for now. ✌(-‿-)✌ [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

    Micki Seibel is an investor, advisor, and tech builder who was part of the team behind internet products such as Netscape and eBay. She is currently an Operating Partner for Radicle Growth, an acceleration fund that partners with entrepreneurs who have ideas that can innovate the future of food. She has over 20 years of experience in building companies and has made much of it at Silicon Valley. Micki also serves on the advisory board of multiple food system startup companies such as Swarm Technologies.   Micki joins me today to share how Radicle Growth is helping startups in the AgTech industry. She discusses the goals of Radicle Growth, their criteria when selecting companies to fund, and the ideas that they want to promote. She describes her career in Silicon Valley and how it led her to be part of the food industry. Micki also explains the effects of climate change on the ag economy and ag innovations.       “Selling to a corn grower in Iowa is not at all the same as selling to a strawberry farmer in California or Chile.” - Micki Seibel       This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:   Solving the problem of rural connectivity in AgTech. Where her interest in food and agriculture stems from. The different companies she has worked for previously. The technical experience she gathered before becoming part of the AgTech industry. How she developed an interest in the connectivity problem in agriculture. Her thoughts on AgTech and IoT companies and what they should focus on. The people behind Radical Growth and the aim of the company. What it takes to sell the same product to a variety of ag markets. The difference between AgTech and a typical tech investing business. Will the ag industry favor indoor farms or regenerative agriculture? The effects of climate change on agriculture innovations.     Resource:   SWARM TECHNOLOGIES Episode 87: BLOCKCHAIN AND THE INTERNET OF FOOD WITH RAJA RAMACHANDRAN OF RIPE.IO       Connect with Micki Seibel   Radicle Growth LinkedIn         We Are a Part of a Bigger Family!    The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today.      Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message!   Share the Ag-Love!    Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots!    Learn more about AgGrad by visiting:  Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram  

    Micki Seibel is an investor, advisor, and tech builder who was part of the team behind internet products such as Netscape and eBay. She is currently an Operating Partner for Radicle Growth, an acceleration fund that partners with entrepreneurs who have ideas that can innovate the future of food. She has over 20 years of experience in building companies and has made much of it at Silicon Valley. Micki also serves on the advisory board of multiple food system startup companies such as Swarm Technologies.   Micki joins me today to share how Radicle Growth is helping startups in the AgTech industry. She discusses the goals of Radicle Growth, their criteria when selecting companies to fund, and the ideas that they want to promote. She describes her career in Silicon Valley and how it led her to be part of the food industry. Micki also explains the effects of climate change on the ag economy and ag innovations.       “Selling to a corn grower in Iowa is not at all the same as selling to a strawberry farmer in California or Chile.” - Micki Seibel       This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:   Solving the problem of rural connectivity in AgTech. Where her interest in food and agriculture stems from. The different companies she has worked for previously. The technical experience she gathered before becoming part of the AgTech industry. How she developed an interest in the connectivity problem in agriculture. Her thoughts on AgTech and IoT companies and what they should focus on. The people behind Radical Growth and the aim of the company. What it takes to sell the same product to a variety of ag markets. The difference between AgTech and a typical tech investing business. Will the ag industry favor indoor farms or regenerative agriculture? The effects of climate change on agriculture innovations.     Resource:   SWARM TECHNOLOGIES Episode 87: BLOCKCHAIN AND THE INTERNET OF FOOD WITH RAJA RAMACHANDRAN OF RIPE.IO       Connect with Micki Seibel   Radicle Growth LinkedIn         We Are a Part of a Bigger Family!    The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today.      Join the Conversation! To get your most pressing ag questions answered and share your perspective on various topics we’ve discussed on the Future of Agriculture podcast, head over to SpeakPipe.com/FutureofAg and leave a recorded message!   Share the Ag-Love!    Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots!    Learn more about AgGrad by visiting:  Future of Agriculture Website AgGrad Website AgGrad on Twitter AgGrad on Facebook AgGrad on LinkedIn AgGrad on Instagram  

My guest this week is Sara Spangelo, co-founder and CEO of Swarm Technologies. The company is noteworthy for its innovation in developing a communication satellite 1/4 the size of a traditional CubeSat, which is 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. To put it another way, and as my guest put it, the size of a grilled cheese sandwich. The company wants to build and launch 150 of these pico satellites, called SpaceBees, to create a global network to allow Internet of Things devices such as sensors in a farmers field to send small amounts of data back to servers for processing. Currently the company has 7 experimental satellites in orbit. Swarm is less than two years old and it's gotten more attention than perhaps they would have wanted. Last year could have been a company killing year for a startup as they ran afoul of the Federal Communication Commission when they not only launched 4 of their satellites without an FCC license, they also performed unauthorized weather balloon-to-ground station tests and unauthorized tests of satellite and ground station equipment. They settled with the FCC, paying a whopping $900,000 fine and they recently closed their Series A round of financing for $25M. The company wants to put past mistakes behind them and build the company out with its innovative technologies.

Earlier this month, IEE Spectrum broke the story that Silicon Valley startup Swarm Technologies had launched several experimental satellites through the commercial arm of India’s space agency, despite being denied authorization by the FCC. The case illustrates the complexity of the licensing process for satellites, both in the US and internationally. Space lawyer Jim Dunstan joins the show to discuss the ramifications of this launch, and how the process could be improved. For more, see part 1, part 2, and part 3 of our series on space law with Jim.