Australian Space Agency backs industry expansion in world-first agreement with Adelaide startup Myriota

ADELAIDE, South Australia, Jul. 15, 2019 – Myriota, global leader in nanosatellite Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, and the Australian Space Agency have signed a Statement of Strategic Intent aimed at expanding Australia’s growing space industry.

In a world-first, Myriota is the first Australian startup to sign such an statement; joining international powerhouse Boeing, as well as other significant space companies, who penned their own Statement of Strategic Intent with the Australian Space Agency in April.

With a specialisation in telecommunications, knowledge and experience in R&D, IP creation and satellite operations, Myriota is a growing player in Australia’s space industry; developing products for global and local applications, while contributing to the growth of Australia’s space sector in the area of satellite communications.

The statement outlines a number of plans that the Adelaide business has for growth, including:

• Expanding its current constellation to 25 satellites by 2022
• Hosting 10 internships per year across the business to encourage interest in STEM, with a particular focus on growing female involvement in technology companies
• Growing the number of employees from 25 to over 50 by 2022
• Delivering sensor connectivity for lunar and planetary exploration missions

“The establishment of the Australian Space Agency comes at a time when nanosatellites and IoT are helping to solve major issues that have long plagued Australian businesses, such as manual water monitoring in regional Australia,” Dr Alex Grant, CEO and co-founder of Myriota said.

“We’ve outlined our growth plans which include adding 25 satellites to our constellation and expanding our team to 50 people by 2022 in order to support the delivery of these solutions.”

“We’re passionate about fostering a diverse STEM workforce. Our strategy has a particular focus on developing initiatives that profile the achievements of female tech leaders, while investing in Women in STEM programs to creating a thriving female workforce.”

Dr Alex Grant, CEO and co-founder, Myriota

One of the key remits of the Australian Space Agency is to create a competitive space industry while improving Australia’s standing on the global stage through the application of innovative products and services. Myriota’s use of nanosatellite technology continues to be used to solve real-world problems, such as assisting with water and agricultural management in regional Australia.

“This statement embodies the transformation we are witnessing in the space industry both here in Australia and around the world – it demonstrates that businesses of all sizes can make a significant contribution to Australia’s space industry,” Mr Anthony Murfett, Deputy Head of the Australian Space Agency said.

“As a startup with unique R&D and IP, Myriota’s technological innovation is important not only to support the growth and transformation of our space industry, but is inspiring to the wider Australian community and space entrepreneurs.”

Mr Anthony Murfett, Deputy Head, Australian Space Agency

Myriota plans to serve Australian and global industries through its continued use of direct-to-orbit connectivity, as well as the continued expansion and development of its constellation of low earth orbit nanosatellites and associated ground systems.

Australia aims to grow the space market segment from AU$3.9 billion to AU$12 billion by 2030 and double space industry employment from around 10,000 today to 30,000.