Blue Sky Network, a San Diego business offering advanced satellite communications, won $25,000 to further its international business as part of a recent pitch contest organized by the World Trade Center San Diego.
Blue Sky Network’s has seen its business in Brazil expand. It foresees even more business in a vast country, with a telecommunications infrastructure that is not as robust as that in the United States. A majority of the audience evaluating four pitches during the Nov. 15 event felt Blue Sky’s case was most compelling, awarding the grand prize to the Mission Valley company.
A grant from JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Procopio made the award possible.
It was the culmination of Blue Sky Network’s participation in the fifth round of World Trade Center’s MetroConnect export accelerator program. A sixth round is being organized.
Nearly 250 participants convened for the noon-hour pitch contest using the Whova virtual events platform. (Whova, based in the Miramar area, is a previous MetroConnect participant.)
Also competing for the $25,000 prize were Mayan Robotics, SIDUS Solutions and White Labs Inc. A committee of senior international business leaders in San Diego helped the WTCSD team nominate the top four performers out of the initial 15-company cohort.
Innovation Economy
“Blue Sky Network is the perfect reflection of San Diego’s innovation economy coming together, leveraging our excellence in defense and technology now on an international stage,” said Lucas Coleman, senior manager at WTCSD.
Blue Sky Network provides satellite-based communications and fleet management solutions for aviation, maritime, and IoT customers.
“Brazil is very promising,” said Gregoire Demory, president of Blue Sky Network, adding that company leadership anticipates its growth in that region will accelerate. The business is already approved by the Brazilian government body that regulates satellite communications. The government must also certify Blue Sky Network’s hardware.
In addition to getting its new products certified, the San Diego business plans an advertising push for Brazil. One target market is the energy sector. Operators of power plants and wind turbines need technology to monitor their faraway assets, and operate them remotely.
Center to Assemble New Cohort
The deadline to apply for year six of World Trade Center San Diego’s MetroConnect program is Dec. 17.
As in past years, WTCSD plans to select 15 export-ready small and mid-sized businesses to receive $5,000 export grants, access to executive workshops, translation software, discounted international airfare and a chance to win a $25,000 grand prize to aid in further international market expansion.
Information and applications for year six of the MetroConnect program are available at https://tinyurl.com/mwseut2t
The full web address is https://www.sandiegobusiness.org/blog/take-your-business-global-with-metroconnect/
Blue Sky Network
FOUNDED: Â 2001
CEO: Tucker Morrison
HEADQUARTERS: Mission Valley
BUSINESS: Provider of satellite-based tracking and communications solutions
EMPLOYEES: 35, domestically and overseas
WEBSITE:Â https://blueskynetwork.com
NOTABLE: The United Nations has used Blue Sky Network to monitor helicopter operations all over Africa
CONTACT: (858) 551-3894
