NewSpace NYC, a space exploration accelerator based in New York City, announced today that Kepler Communications, a space startup in Toronto, Canada, landed first place in the Space Frontier Foundation’s Northeast Regional NewSpace Business Plan Competition (BPC) that took place Oct. 22 in the Columbia Startup Lab at WeWork Soho West, 175 Varick St, New York, NY. Kepler presented a compelling business case for developing infrastructure to enable real-time communications with space assets and will go on to compete in the BPC finals at the Space Frontier Foundation’s NewSpace conference in Seattle, June 21-23, 2016.

The panel of investors and space industry professionals chose Kepler over RocketStar LLC, an aerospike engine company, and Food-by-Print, which is developing a luxury food 3D printer. Each company is a new, independent venture in the early stages of building products for Earth-bound practice and space-related implications. The presenters were judged on concise, effective presentations of their business plan, product, customer base, marketing strategy, management, financials and investment viability.

“We had a good showing for the first event of the regional NewSpace business plan competitions. All of the startups’ gave great business pitches, and the judges’ questions and analysis were superb, said Sidney Nakahodo, NewSpace NYC co-founder.

Jeffrey Osborne, who took the stage, and Wen Cheng Chong providing technical support represented Kepler. “We are very honored to have been not only invited down to present with NewSpace NYC, but also to have been selected by this renowned panel of judges to represent the Northeast at the finals in Seattle. It is great to see the mutual enthusiasm that exists for solving the intermittent communications problem for LEO satellites, and meet some of the other exciting new space ventures happening in this region,” said Mr. Osborne.

Judges for the NewSpace NYC Business Plan Competition included Chad Anderson, managing director of the Space Angels Network; Josh Benamram, venture investor at Bessemer Venture Partners; Chris Cummins, chief of products, pricing, and contracts at NanoRacks LLC; Garret Schneider, independent consultant; and Jerome Wong, managing member of Angelus Funding, LLC.

For more information about NewSpace NYC’s Northeast Regional Business Plan Competition, visit https://www.newspace.nyc/bpc. Watch a recording of the NewSpace NYC BPC 2015 video here: https://youtu.be/fqTbn7lB92I

About NewSpaceNYC 
NewSpace NYC is a Benefit Corporation based in New York City committed to creating the conditions that advance space exploration. NewSpace NYC is building open entrepreneurial ecosystems across the Earth to foster the technologies, companies, and concepts reaching for the stars. The company organizes forums and activities to connect stakeholders driven to develop the new markets and industries enveloping space exploration. NewSpace NYC believes that space is the next frontier, as well as the future of humankind. Join us in building the space community in your town. For more information about NewSpace NYC, visit: https://newspace.nyc

About NewSpace Business Plan Competition 
Established in 2007 by the Space Frontier Foundation and led by Thomas A. Olson, founding partner of Exodus Consulting Group, the NewSpace Business Plan Competition (BPC) is the premiere space start-up event, connecting entrepreneurs with established industry mentors and resources. Chosen competitors attend a private, twoday, Boot Camp session to prepare for their Shark Tank-style pitch to investors. Companies are judged on their investment potential and cash prizes are awarded to the most promising teams. To become a sponsor or support the BPC please contact Meagan Crawford at Meagan.Crawford@spacefrontier.org. For more information visitwww.NewSpaceBPC.com

About Kepler: 
Founded in 2015, Kepler Communications is working to provide real-time communications access to LEO spacecraft. Its founding team includes members with backgrounds in telecommunications, computer networks, aerospace & systems engineering, and business development. The team is advised by Dr. Christian Sallaberger (ex-VP MDA, Canadensys President), Dr Vaughn Betz (ex-Director Altera, Associate Professor University of Toronto), Dr. Sean Hum (ex-ESA, Associate Professor University of Toronto), and Dr. Joyce Poon (Caltech, Associate Professor University of Toronto). For more information visit http://keplercommunications.com