Meet Daria Stepanova, a founder with stratospheric ambitions

As founder of AIRMO, Daria’s goal is to reduce carbon emissions globally through satellite technology that gathers the most accurate and granular measurements of carbon emissions ever achieved.

Daria Stepanova believes her startup, AIRMO, has the potential to become Germany’s first unicorn specializing in satellite technology. Combining academic and professional expertise with a determination to address climate change through technology, this is Daria’s story.

Welcome to Antler, Daria. Can you tell us about yourself and your background?

I studied Electrical Engineering at BMSTU and I hold a Ph.D. in Theoretical Mechanics. Since then, I have been involved in the new space industry for the past seven years as an engineer. I focus on the small satellite sector, and I’ve been part of 11 small satellite missions including earth observation, IoT, and scientific and technology demonstration missions.

I started my career as a hardware developer, and I had the opportunity to develop satellite modules before I started running teams building satellites themselves. I tried to get as much experience as possible so I have spent time working across design, manufacturing, assembly, and testing for satellite systems.

Playing so many different roles in space tech has given me a great overview of how small satellite projects are conducted, how fast innovations in aerospace can be implemented, and how agile and fast space tech can be.

I am an active member of the Space Generation Advisory Council and for two years I was a leader of the Small Satellite Project Group, which had more than 300 active members. I still hold an advisory position with that group and I am an active member of the Entrepreneurship and Investment Committee of the International Astronautical Federation.

Why did you choose to start your journey as an entrepreneur?

I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur — at university I founded an “escape room” business, and I was also part of two companies focused on wearable technology. But my passion is space technology.

Working on my first company with a group of friends during university really inspired me to set up more companies in the future as I loved the freedom building a business gives you. I thrive when taking responsibility and leading the development of a company and its processes. I’ve learned that I get the most satisfaction and happiness from work when I have that creativity and laser focus on growing a business. I also really enjoy holding the bigger picture in my mind when making day-to-day decisions to ensure we always make ambitious and bold choices.

Tell us a bit more about the problem that you are setting out to solve and why you’re so passionate about it?

I love the intersection between climate tech and space. Aerospace is one of the most exciting industries to work in, and climate change is the most important challenge facing humanity right now. I am building a company that uses space tech to record and reduce carbon emissions globally.

Using a small satellite constellation and novel LiDAR instrument, we will provide precise and unbiased data about carbon emissions anywhere in the world. With the set of innovative instruments on board and the data processing techniques we are using, we will guarantee the most accurate and granular measurements of carbon emissions ever achieved. We will be able to provide near real-time data about carbon emissions for single facilities globally.

There is a huge demand for neutral data on emissions. Many projects are addressing the issue of emissions monitoring and the market is requesting higher granularity and accuracy with fewer “revisits” from the orbiting satellite.

AIRMO will supply 50M resolution data with a revisit rate of only four passes a day. This is much better than other solutions out there.

We have verified our approach in the lab and are ready to launch and become the new standard for small satellite measurements worldwide.

What inspired you to start AIRMO?

AIRMO is the result of trying to find an answer to what the market was requesting. I was sitting with my friends in a bar and we were discussing their new enterprise for carbon footprint management. The discussion kept coming back to the fact that current datasets don’t provide enough information for them to build effective services for their customers.

I realized I could create a startup that launched its own satellites to solve this problem. From then on I started looking at potential solutions for technology and found a great innovative concept.

This is a classic example of a market request leading to a technological innovation and solution.

How has Antler supported you and AIRMO?

Antler has been a hugely supportive partner throughout my growth journey. The team has provided a significant amount of time, advice, and guidance from so many different angles.

They gave me the impetus and confidence to push forward and believe in the success I am trying to achieve. From a practical perspective, they have given me business advice, fundraising support, introductions, and more.

It’s very encouraging to know that somebody cares not only about building a successful business, but also about helping a founder navigate complex decisions. I am incredibly grateful to the Antler team in Berlin for that level of support.

Antler also has an awesome global community, including an international network of advisors and experts available to discuss your needs and suggest solutions. You can get an introduction to almost anyone who delivers insights that accelerate the growth of your business dramatically.