Democratising Earth Observation Data - Episode 59 - Michael Bartholomeusz, CEO of NOVI

Join us as we explore how Michael Bartholomeusz, CEO of NOVI, is revolutionising the earth observation industry by making satellite data affordable and accessible to organisations and individuals worldwide.

Throughout the episode, Michael shares his fascinating journey from working on the US Space Shuttle programme to leading a pioneering earth observation company.

Key topics covered include:

• How NOVI's space edge computing reduces costs by two orders of magnitude - from £150,000 to just £1,500 for equivalent services
• The innovative VISTA platform creating an open-access marketplace for earth observation applications
• Why moving compute power to space is transforming the industry economics
• Building NOVI's constellation of 40 smart satellites for daily global coverage
• The potential for an "app store" model in satellite data services
• Ethical considerations around democratised satellite surveillance capabilities

Listen along for valuable insights on building multidisciplinary teams in NewSpace, leadership lessons from diverse tech industries, and how NOVI's approach could unlock entirely new use cases for earth observation data across agriculture, logistics, maritime monitoring, and beyond.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

00:33 Meet Michael Bar, CEO of Novi

01:50 Michael's Journey into the Space Industry

03:47 Career Highlights and Leadership Lessons

10:15 Novi's Mission and Innovations

21:17 Challenges and Ethical Considerations

26:14 Talent and Culture at Novi

33:47 Quickfire Round and Conclusion

About our guest:

Michael Bartholomeusz brings extensive experience as a global CEO and technology leader across multiple industries including advanced materials, electronics, renewables, and space.

Having worked on the US Space Shuttle programme early in his career, he now leads NOVI in their mission to make earth observation data accessible through innovative space edge computing solutions.

Website: https://www.novispace.ai/

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