A University of South Florida incubator program has added satellite startup GuardianSat to its team.
The Tampa Bay Technology Incubator is hosted through the university’s business development initiative, USF Connect, which provides resources and networking to member startups. GuardianSat will utilize the incubator access to expand its satellite technologies, which seek to protect the devices from aerospace threats, according to a release.
“Being part of [Tampa Bay Technology Incubator] ’s incubator program empowers us to leverage the vast resources and expertise available through USF,” GuardianSat co-founder Robert Briskman said in a statement. “This collaboration is a leap forward in our journey to ‘keep space open’ by eliminating the risk of satellite collisions and defending against hostile threats.”
The incubator seeks for-profit, technology-based and innovation-focused startups. After applying, companies must pitch to a vetting committee. Companies are evaluated on their proprietary technology, vision for commercialization and potential for economic impact on the Tampa Bay area “by remaining in the area after graduating,” according to the incubator’s website.
Other incubator companies include Tampa Bay Inno award-winner Psilera, a Tampa biotech firm studying psychedelics, and Tampa-based telehealth company AccelEQ.
Shannon Pastizzo, USF Connect Program Director, told Tampa Bay Inno in a statement that GuardianSat’s technology is groundbreaking and an exciting addition to the program. The new Tampa location will be pivotal to the company’s growth, she said.
GuardianSat is also participating in a 2024 cohort of a cybersecurity accelerator program from the local nonprofit Tampa Bay Wave.
While the Delaware-based company will incubate with USF, it plans to establish its headquarters in Tampa, especially after finding support from Tampa Bay Wave and USF, GuardianSat Technical Director Huey Wyche said.
The startup was co-founded in 2020 by Christopher Rohe, who has a more than 20-year career with the U.S. Air Force and has worked at Lockheed Martin, according to his LinkedIn profile. Rohe is also the president of Rogue Industries, a defense and space manufacturing company in Destin.
“Joining the [Tampa Bay Technology Incubator] aligns with our vision to create a safe and sustainable space environment,” Rohe said in a statement.
The University of Maryland inducted co-founder Briskman into the university’s Innovation Hall of Fame for developing technologies that made efficient satellite radio possible, according to its website. Briskman co-founded Sirius Satellite Radio in 1991 and holds several patents in the satellite space.
The two founders have a patented technology that detects debris, tracks potential threats and maneuvers satellites orbiting Earth. It plans to protect satellites with “full spherical awareness” as traffic grows in space, according to its website.
In September 2023, the startup was awarded a $273,332 grant to further develop these “methods for space-based detection of orbital debris” alongside the America’s Seed Fund program, according to the National Science Foundation’s website.
