(Sydney, NSW - 23rd of August, 2021) Spiral Blue has announced today it has joined the ‘Microsoft For Space Startups’ launchpad, a program that supports Australian space technology enterprises that utilise cloud-powered innovation on and off the planet. Among the first companies to join this initiative, Spiral Blue has teamed up with Microsoft to tackle Earth based problems such as bushfire detection, climate change and sustainable practices using space technologies.
The Microsoft For Space Startups program provides space startups with Azure credits, enterprise-grade technical support across Microsoft technologies, access to Microsoft’s go-to-market and customer network as well as access to mentorship and experts to support the startup’s development and growth.
Along with Spiral Blue, Melbourne based company, Office of Planetary Observation will also join the program too, allowing both companies access to a wide range of Azure technologies and AI-infused services to leverage and develop their services.
“We are essentially building a cloud like infrastructure in space”, CEO of Spiral Blue, Taofiq Huq said. “It makes sense to partner with the largest cloud computing companies on the planet to see how we can learn from each other to build out this architecture and then hopefully to access some of Microsoft’s customers and bring them into our pipeline as well.”
Azure Space Lead, Microsoft Australia, Lynn McDonald, also spoke saying, “We’re seeing important and cutting-edge innovation in Australian space startups and we want to enable, support and accelerate their journey.”
By bringing together Microsoft products and partnerships, the Microsoft Azure Space initiative provides a tailored service for startups by making cloud-to-edge computing more streamlined, access to space-sourced data easier whilst also dramatically improving connectivity.
“We are focused on enabling and building an ecosystem of companies committed to taking on some of the toughest issues in the advancement of space technology and exploring uses of this technology for the betterment of humanity and continued exploration in space”, said Lynn McDonald.
Spiral Blue was recently a recipient of the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars Supply Chain Capability Improvement Grant, a grant which supports the Australian space industry to build capacity to deliver products and services into domestic and/or international space industry supply chains that could support Moon to Mars activities. This grant is supporting the development of Spiral Blue’s Space Edge Services platform. The company is also developing its Vessel Detect maritime surveillance algorithm under a Defence Innovation Hub contract.
About Spiral Blue
Spiral Blue is a Sydney SME focused on building the next generation of Earth observation services with artificial intelligence and Space Edge Computing. Spiral Blue technology has applications in defence, city planning, utilities, and other industries. Founded in 2018, the company launched its first Space Edge Zero prototype into orbit in June 2021.