In this week’s episode, On Orbit interviews Femi Ishola, founder and CEO of Phemotron Systems, winner of the 2025 Startup Space competition at SATELLITE. Ishola is from Lagos, Nigeria, and has worked and studied all over the world including in Japan, Australia, and the U.S. Now he is taking his global experience developing space systems to use small satellites to solve challenges in Africa. 

Phemotron Systems plans to launch its first satellite next year, an Earth observation satellite with an AI engine for onboard edge computing, called AI-Motherbox-1. Ishola wants to establish the company as a key satellite integrator in Africa, help grow the space industry, and expand Africa countries’ access to satellite solutions. He hopes his startup space win encourages more investment in the African space industry. 

This episode is sponsored by AvL Technologies. AvL Technologies is a leading manufacturer of multi-band and multi-orbit satellite communications ground terminals, serving both government and commercial markets. With terminals ranging in size from 60 cm  to 4.6 m AvL provides efficient, cost-effective solutions for voice, video, and data connectivity without the need for specialized training.

AvL’s innovative and visionary approach to engineering and design ensures the critical requirements of today’s missions are met. For more information please visit avltech.com.

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