Robinhood Founder Aims to Revolutionize Energy with Aetherflux’s Space-Based Solar Power

Baiju Bhatt, the former Chief Creative Officer of Robinhood, has embarked on a new venture that could potentially transform the energy sector. His new company, Aetherflux, aims to prove that beaming solar power from space is not just science fiction, but a viable solution for renewable energy and national defense. With $60 million already raised, Bhatt is determined to turn his vision into reality.

“Until you do stuff in space, if you happen to be an aerospace company, you’re actually an aspiring space company,” Bhatt stated at a TechCrunch StrictlyVC event. He emphasized his desire to quickly transition Aetherflux from an aspiring space company to an established one.

Bhatt’s interest in space dates back to his childhood, influenced by his father’s work as a research scientist at NASA. Despite his father’s reverse psychology, Bhatt’s passion for physics and space exploration remained strong. Now, he is following in his father’s footsteps, aiming to make a significant impact in the aerospace industry.

Traditional space solar power concepts have involved massive geostationary satellites using microwave transmission. Bhatt argues that these projects have been perpetually “20 years away” due to their scale and complexity. Aetherflux proposes a smaller, more nimble solution using fiber lasers to convert solar power into focused light, which can then be precisely targeted at receivers on the ground.

“We take the solar power that we collect from the sun with solar panels, and we take that energy and put it into a set of diodes that turn it back into light,” Bhatt explained. “That light goes into a fiber where there’s a laser, which then lets us point that down to the ground.”

Aetherflux plans to launch a demonstration satellite in June of next year to test its technology.

Initially, Aetherflux is focusing on national security applications, with the Department of Defense already providing funding for the program. The ability to beam power to forward bases eliminates the logistical challenges of transporting fuel, offering a significant military advantage. Bhatt aims for a laser spot “bigger than 10 meters diameter” on the ground, with potential to shrink it to “five to 10 meters, potentially even smaller than that.”

The company’s approach draws inspiration from Elon Musk and aims to seize overlooked opportunities. Bhatt believes that an outsider perspective can be a significant advantage in the aerospace industry. Unlike software development, space hardware requires precision and reliability from the outset. “We build one spacecraft, we bolt it to the fairing inside of the SpaceX rocket, we put it in space, and it detaches, and then the thing better work,” Bhatt said.

Aetherflux is adopting a “hardware-rich” approach, building and testing components while refining designs. If successful, space-based solar power could provide baseload renewable energy, revolutionizing energy distribution and providing power to remote locations and during emergencies.

The company has already hired a diverse team of experts from various fields and is continuing to expand. Bhatt has personally invested in Aetherflux, including self-funding the initial $10 million. The company’s aggressive timeline reflects its commitment to rapid progress.

Aetherflux is working closely with DARPA’s beaming expert, Dr. Paul Jaffe, following a precedent where government partnerships can pave the way for commercial applications, similar to GPS. Bhatt envisions a future where space-based solar power is not limited to defense applications but becomes a widespread source of clean energy.