BSV Webinar 0015: TRL11

00:00 – Introductions* Pre-webinar greetings* Hosts and guests chat before starting* Locations: NYC, Houston, Orange County01:00 – Welcome & Speaker Intro* Nicholas, CEO of TRL-11* Oscar & Emmy award–winning video technologist* TRL-11 delivers video + edge decision-making for space* Reminder about interactive Q&A02:00 – What TRL-11 Does* “Ring for space” analogy* Cameras + machine vision + cloud infrastructure* Visual monitoring of spacecraft and environment* 22 cameras currently on-orbit; 100 more on order* Large revenue opportunity tied to RGXX03:30 – Exclusive Livermore Telescope Technology* 10–14 inch aperture, 3000 mm focal length, pancake-size length* Enables proliferated GEO surveillance* Exclusive agreement with LLNL and OptiMax* Perfect fit for Space Force’s need for smaller, cheaper GEO sensors05:00 – The RGXX Opportunity* $1B IDIQ program* Launched during government shutdown — demonstrates urgency* TRL-11 payloads uniquely positioned05:25 – Nicholas’ Background* Long career in video tech across industries* Hundreds of millions in revenue from prior products* Sold Teradek to a public company* Multiple technical Oscars & Emmys* Angel investing led him into space* Thesis: every industry becomes a video industry07:00 – Why Cameras Matter in Space* Cameras solve for unknown unknowns* Society invests heavily in camera tech (e.g., Apple’s $8B/year on iPhone cameras)* Tesla analogy: camera economics beat lidar* Team includes Livermore veterans, intel experts, ex-Teradek engineers08:00 – Space Is Congested & Contested* Orbital objects doubling every ~20 months* SpaceX makes 275 daily collision-avoidance maneuvers* Adversaries developing ASAT capabilities* Ground telescopes can’t determine intent in GEO* Massive economic impact if GPS fails10:00 – TRL-11 Product Pillars1. Monitoring* Leak detection, anomaly assessment2. Awareness* VAST deployment camera example3. Mission Cameras* Docking, servicing, RPO (e.g., Starfish Space)Additional capabilities:* Edge compute* Machine vision* Custom compression & downlink pipelines* Ground visualization for operators12:00 – Traction & Fundraising* Raised $5M pre-seed* Generating revenue from hardware + contracts* Working with NASA + multiple Space Force offices* Looking to raise $12M for GEO program capture* Potential for “hockey-stick” growth13:20 – Q&A: Partnership with VAST* Long-standing relationship with Max (Launcher, Livestream)* Cinematic video importance* Mission control reaction to first downlinked video* VAST partnership was key inspiration for TRL-1116:00 – The Future of Space Video (5–10 Years)* TRL-11 aims to be the “Akamai of space video”* Controls everything “between the photons”* Cultural impact: inspiring next generation (Interstellar effect)* Increasing public familiarity with space via visuals20:00 – Target Markets* Expected commercial boom didn’t materialize* Government remains primary funding source (DoD, NASA)* Defense demand growing as space becomes a battleground* Long-term commercial use still promising22:00 – What Excites TRL-11 Most* Apophis 2029 monitoring* Lunar missions* On-orbit assembly and manufacturing* Self-assembling structures* Cultural renaissance around space23:30 – Sales Pipeline & Revenue Outlook* 5 commercial customers* 7 government offices (NASA + Space Force)* Current run rate ~$9–10M* Forecast:* Organic: $20–30M over 4 years* With major GEO program: hundreds of millions25:45 – Golden Dome* TRL-11’s “look sideways/up” capability fills market gap26:20 – Product Deep DiveSAIVER* SpaceAware Video Edge Recorder* High-volume storage + onboard algorithmsVIP (Very Important Pixels) Suite* VIP First → prioritizes downlink* VIP Only → pixel-level extraction* VIP Link → robust compression for S-band/X-band* Ground visualizerTriclops / Quadclops* Machine-vision instruments for RPO/docking29:10 – Why the VAST Video Looked So Good* High dynamic range* Extremely high resolution* Space-optimized compression based on physics modeling* Change detection vs. expected motion* Lighting conditions were ideal34:00 – Detecting Targets in Darkness* Cameras more efficient than radar due to 1/R² vs 1/R⁴ falloff* Hard to hide in GEO (51 weeks/year illuminated)* Large-aperture telescopes detect dim objects at great distances* Camera + sensor fusion when needed38:00 – Video Sharing Constraints* Most footage owned by customers (VAST, Starfish)* Some available publicly; others need NDA* Hosts share VAST deployment video39:00 – Walkthrough of Deployment Video* Panel deployment dynamics* Oscillation and stabilization* Thruster puff visible* Star tracking + limb detection enable vision-based navigation* Cameras can help recover orientation when GPS is jammed/unavailable43:00 – Earth-Based Applications* VIP tech applicable to drones, balloons, ISR* TRL-11 remains intentionally focused on space* Long-term: may expand to lunar/asteroid missions or full mission stacks44:45 – TRL-11 Team DNA* Visual-first culture* Many amateur astronomers/photographers* Engineering + BD + gov relations* Shared passion for high-quality imagery46:00 – Future Lunar Missions* Interest from Firefly & Intuitive Machines* Need for cinematic, real-time lunar footage* Cislunar region becoming strategic defense priority* Moon as “strategic high ground”47:55 – Final Notes & Close* TRL-11 raising Series A to capture opportunity* Founder inviting intros to VCs* Recording to be shared post-event* Closing thanks This is a public episode. 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