Starburst Goes Lightspeed

The aerospace industry is at a pivotal point, and we at Starburst are marking this moment with a new look. This is our story–this is the industry’s story–and this is who we are today.

A Starburst is a galaxy undergoing an exceptionally high rate of star formation. This is analogous to the unprecedented amount of business creation the space and aviation industry is currently experiencing. Where there used to be a handful of new startups in aerospace every year, there are now thousands. We saw this potential when we formed our company; today the rate of technological innovation is ever-increasing, barriers to entry have lowered dramatically, and investors see incredible opportunity. We are at the center of all this, connecting entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, industry, and governments, catalyzing innovation across the ecosystem. We are Starburst.

When we started in 2012, we aimed to address a clear problem: the Aerospace & Defense industry wasn’t advancing at the rate technological and global development demanded. Historically funded by government only and very insular, there was an opportunity to shake up an industry. Our team has an extensive background consulting in A&D, so we began by coaching the largest players on how to engage and participate in the then-emerging culture of “open innovation.”

From the beginning, we went to where the innovation was happening. Our knowledge of emerging technologies and trends made us trusted advisors, and we quickly grew to work with 50+ corporations around the world, tackling critical challenges surrounding their growth and investment strategies. Our knowledge of new players in the sector made us invaluable in due diligence for M&A, understanding the competitive landscape for new technology, or crafting a go-to-market strategy for a new product.

We have completed 75+ consulting studies to date across mobility, communications, and intelligence.

And the number of startups in the sector has grown every year. The landscape changed with extraordinary advances in computation and manufacturing, a second global space race, and private company potential. We saw the value we could bring to the industry by supporting startups as well as our corporate clients.

In 2015 we launched Starburst Accelerator.

The first and only global aerospace-focused startup accelerator program in the world, we built Starburst Accelerator to help speed the entry of new technologies into the market. We started working with founders on a case-by-case basis to grow their businesses; working with them for a full year, helping them to raise capital, hit critical growth milestones, and secure industry traction. Connecting visionary founders in the Accelerator to our extensive network of global aviation, space, and defense leaders — fostered in the parallel consulting practice — was a force multiplier. This was a defining moment for Starburst, meeting a critical need and solidifying our role as the catalyst for innovation across the industry.

Today, we are witnessing industry disruption, and we see our success here: in the explosion of startups, in the over 25 aerospace unicorns operating today, in the increasing number of investors hungry to get involved in time. There has been a fundamental shift in how R&D is funded, how risk is factored in an increasingly competitive marketplace, and, as a result, product development has accelerated across the industry.

This is the future we worked to build.

Over the last 24 months, during a global pandemic, the Starburst team has doubled to 60 employees and added 4 new international offices. Everyone is noticing this boom of entrepreneurial talent, new business creation, and technology maturity: we’ve seen corporate and government interest exponentiate. This has brought us to another critical moment in our growth.

Over the last year, we’ve launched 5 new accelerator programs.

BLAST, SCALE, ASTRA, Allied Defense, and the Singapore Aviation Accelerator are just a taste of what’s to come.
We are building a one-of-a-kind global aerospace ecosystem, and we are focused on bringing new people, new ideas, and new possibilities into the industry. Our goal is to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors to pursue the advancement of novel technologies with aerospace applications, and we are supporting this next generation of startups from the ground up. And we can’t do it alone; we are collaborating with governments and industry leaders who want to help us shape the future.

And we are raising a fund, deepening our commitment to the technology the world needs.
Working with startups from ideation through the funding necessary to scale in a meaningful way, we are creating opportunities for commercial success in space, aviation, defense; we are supporting technologies that are changing infrastructure, energy, autonomous ground transportation, climate monitoring, communication systems, AI, AR, manufacturing, new materials, and so much more. We are expanding the understanding of and possibilities within the industry.

The new Starburst brand is a celebration of a decade of growth.

A Starburst is the hottest place in the Solar System. A Starburst is not just the center of new life but the center of opportunity. It is critical to get this re-brand right and articulate this powerful sentiment.

Two major themes define the logo redesign: the creation of new stars and the will to fly ever higher. Each block is in the shape of a winglet, spiraling together to achieve flight and propulsion. And the negative space between each winglet comes from the star itself — symbolizing the idea that you cannot have one without the other.

These themes tie into our story and the state of our industry. Our sector is overflowing with talent and passion and the support needed to pursue even greater opportunity; we take pride in the creation of new stars and their ability to radiate incredible energy and growth. And we will fly ever higher. Whether a member of the Starburst team, a portfolio company, or an investor in our network, we all have a penchant for flight. Wings and propulsion are the fundamentals for taking off and climbing high. At Starburst, it is our mission to propel businesses and accelerate their ascent to grow and compete.

Welcome to the new Starburst — a galaxy of exceptional energy giving flight to a growing industry, changing the way innovation happens in aviation, space and defense.
If you haven’t yet, we invite you to visit our new website (https://starburst.aero/), to reach out, to get involved. We are looking for entrepreneurs, investors, educators, corporate partners — we want to connect with all the brilliant human beings who are focused on building the future.