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The Techne Connect
Rob DeMillo, CEO & Co-Founder of Sophia Space
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In this episode we speak with Rob DeMillo, CEO and co-founder of Sophia Space, about commercialising compute in orbit.
Rob shares his journey from JPL and the FAA into a 30 year entrepreneurial career spanning media, cloud computing and now space infrastructure. He explains how Sophia Space emerged from research into space based power and evolved into a company building high performance, passively cooled servers for low Earth orbit.
The conversation explores why orbital data centres are needed, how falling launch costs are reshaping the space economy, and what it takes to move from academic concept to commercial reality. Rob also reflects on founder trade offs, common startup mistakes, and why space today feels like the early days of the internet.
The Techne Connect Podcast 🎧
Thank you for listening to Techne Connect! This podcast takes you inside the companies and conversations shaping the future of engineering.
From space and defence to robotics, AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility, each episode features the founders, engineers and technology leaders building tomorrow's world.
Through candid discussions on innovation, leadership, product development and career journeys, the podcast uncovers the ideas, challenges and breakthroughs driving the world's fastest-moving industries. Whether you're an engineer, founder, investor or simply fascinated by emerging technology.
Techne Connect offers a front-row seat to the people creating what's next.
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