Stage Venture Partners

In 2010, then-President Barack Obama instructed NASA to provide grants to private companies to let them develop spacecraft. This shift in space policy from government-controlled has created a massive opportunity for the private sector to fully get involved in space aviation for the first time. In 2020, SpaceX launched its first flight with humans on board, transporting two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Looking to capitalize on this new frontier is Epsilon3, a LA startup comprised of engineers and designers from SpaceX, Google, and Northrop. The company, founded during the pandemic, is building the operating system to power space launches. Most of the existing software used on space missions are legacy and derive from space exploration’s heyday in the 1960s and do not serve the sophisticated needs of today’s industry. Epsilon3 integrates workflows and data in real-time and provides a comprehensive operational management solution that results in fewer errors, increased efficiency by reducing engineering hours needed, and offers continuous improvement through analytics. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO and Cofounder Laura Crabtree to learn more about how her experience working on 100+ space launches led to her “AHA” moment to build Epsilon3, the company’s future plans, and recent round of funding, from investors that include MaC Venture Capital, Stage Venture Partners, and assorted strategic angels.