EPISODE SUMMARY
This week, we feature Chris Taylor, CEO and founder of Aalyria, a Google spinout that specializes in advanced connectivity solutions. The company is developing what could be game changing free-space optics hardware and network orchestration software to meaningfully change communication speed and efficiency across air, space, land, and sea.
EPISODE NOTES
This week’s Pathfinder features Chris Taylor, CEO and founder of Aalyria, a Google spinout that specializes in advanced connectivity solutions. The company is developing what could be game changing free-space optics hardware and network orchestration software to meaningfully change communication speed and efficiency across air, space, land, and sea. It’s core products include:
- Tightbeam: An advanced free-space optics technology which uses coherent light (laser technology) to transmit data at high speeds over long distances without physical connections like cables.
- Spacetime: A SaaS platform that serves as a network management system that can control and direct data flows across different types of infrastructure, including satellites, ground stations, and other communication devices, effectively making each component a node in a larger network (think: traffic controller for communications).
In this episode, we dissect:
- Free space optics 101
- Aalyria’s origins as a Google spinout
- Deep dive on core technologies and challenges
- Strategic commercial applications
• Chapters •
00:00 Intro
00:32 Chris’s path to Aalyria
02:15 What is Aalyria building?
04:52 How do different space assets communicate with each other today?
05:59 What is optical communication?
07:58 The coherent light free space optics (FSO) program
10:50 Why did Google sell their optical comms tech?
12:56 Why is this so important?
15:15 Benefits of Tightbeam over existing free space optics, coherent vs non-coherent space optics
21:22 Customer profiles
25:41 Real-world use case
28:02 Use case in autonomous fleet navigation
29:44 Fleet of autonomous taxis
30:53 Size of Aalyria’s addressable market
35:34 Commercialization prospects
38:32 Work with DIU (Defense Innovation Unit)
40:01 Competitors
42:25 Limits of technology
44:22 Funding
47:00 10-year vision
50:34 What does Chris do for fun?
• Show notes •
Aalyria’s website — https://www.aalyria.com/
Aalyria’s socials — https://twitter.com/AalyriaTech
Mo’s socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam
Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace
Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace
Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes