Agreement Between Amazon Web Services and AEB Rewards Brazilian Startups (Image Credit: Payload)
Event within the SpaceBR Show was the first action within the scope of the Term of Strategic Intent and Cooperation signed between the institutions
BRASILIA (Brazilain Space Agency PR) — On the third day of the SpaceBR Show, there was a competition between eight startups in the space sector, which were selected among 21 registered, by professionals from the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), based on the degree of adherence to the space theme, to participate in pitches with Agency and AWS jurors. The event was the result of a Term of Strategic Intent and Cooperation signed between AEB and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which had as one of its objectives to foster entrepreneurship and disruption between companies in the space sector.
“We have been emphatic in saying that Brazil is one of the few countries capable of acting in all segments of the space sector. We have infrastructure, we have a consumer market, we have a creative people. For all of this to turn into a thriving space economy, we have to engage in global value chains. The partnership with AWS and the incentive for startups are part of this joint effort by the Brazilian space sector”, said AEB President Carlos Moura.
The presentation time of each selected startup was three minutes.
“The startup pitch was very good. A great closing for the event, with initiatives from some Brazilian and other international companies showing their projects. The space area is fascinating and the event showed that”, said Emerson Granemann, CEO of MundoGEO, the company responsible for the SpaceBR Show event.
CRIAR SPACE SYSTEMS was in third place. It is a company that works in the development of products and systems for the aerospace area, such as: Automatic Directional Antennas (ADAs), CubeSats and applications that allow monitoring through the data provided by these products.
Its director, Sergio Soares, demonstrated the project: a set of 50 automatic directional antennas spread around the world, which will be used by entities related to education. “The event was super fun with a great diversity. We got third place and the 3-minute pitch was a challenge. All the other companies were quite successful in their explanations”, said Soares.
Pion Labs, which became famous for launching the first satellite made by a Brazilian startup with only private investment — the PION-BR1 — a picosatellite also known as PocketCube, a satellite with only 125 cubic cm and less than 1 kg of mass, also participated. of activities. One of its founders, Calvin Trubiene, was very excited about the success of the event.
“It is a unique moment in the history of the space sector. Pion comes with a youthful approach, in which we try to talk to the public in a very simple way so that, within our purpose, we can reach not only the space sector, but society as a whole. The fact is, in Brazil, we now need to reach investors as well,” he said.
Daniel Mccammon, VP Engineering at C6 Launch Systems Inc., was pleased that his company took first place at the event and believes that the startup sector tends to grow more and more in Brazil. “Startups are growing all over the world. Brazil is becoming important on the international stage. Your industry is growing along the lines of New Space. Its location is very good. It’s exciting to be a part of it,” said Daniel.
The three award-winning startups received from AWS:
- 1st place: $5,000 in cloud credits and three technical mentoring sessions within 2 months.
- 2nd place: $2,500 in cloud credits and two technical mentoring sessions within 2 months.
- 3rd place: $1,500 in cloud credits and two technical mentoring sessions within 2 months.
About AEB/MCTI
The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), central body of the National System for the Development of Space Activities (SINDAE), is a public agency linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, responsible for formulating, coordinating and executing the Brazilian Space Policy.
Since its creation, on February 10, 1994, the Agency works to facilitate the efforts of the Brazilian State to promote the well-being of society, through the sovereign employment of the space sector.