At 24, Craig Benson led a squadron of aircraft and 100 personnel for the RAAF. Today, he’s co-founder of Skykraft — delivering the world’s first space-based VHF communication system for air traffic management, especially in remote and oceanic regions.

With $100M+ in funding and a bold partnership between Australia and India, Skykraft is proving that world-first innovation can be built in Canberra and scaled globally.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Leadership lessons from the military
• The importance of robustness over absolute performance, particularly for Space Tech
• How to build resilience — and when it’s time to quit

Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(00:16) Craig’s Air Force Background

(03:20) Founding Skykraft

(04:22) Finding a CEO

(08:33) From Problem to Product

(18:21) What Makes a Strong Founder

(26:36) Culture That Embraces Failure

(38:57) Made in Australia

(45:33) Monopsony Risks

(48:52) Craig on the Future

(55:31) Final Thoughts + Internships

Learn more:

Skykraft: https://www.skykraft.com.au/

Craig Benson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcraigbenson/

News coverage of Skykraft’s $100M+ raise: https://www.afr.com/technology/big-money-is-back-as-space-tech-start-up-raises-120m-20231013-p5ec69

On September 10, 2001, Dr Daniel Shaddock signed on with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, where he worked on LISA, the revolutionary space-based gravitational wave detector. Over a decade later, he co-founded Liquid Instruments, a cutting-edge startup transforming test and measurement — now backed by top international and government investors.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to pitch yourself to investors

• Why Australia may be failing its technical founders

• What it's like to eat lunch with a Mars Rover

🎙️ Powered by the ANU Entrepreneurship Club

Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(00:12) Nobel Prize

(02:45) Career in Physics

(08:12) NASA

(14:04) Liquid Instruments Early Days

(21:54) How to Pitch Yourself

(28:26) VC Experience

(32:36) Signs of a Winning Product

(38:06) Moku Product Strategy

(47:59) Product Awesomeness

(51:41) Advice for Young People

(53:52) Where to Learn More

After graduating from the Australian National University, Michelle (Chelle) got a job at a tech start-up and never looked back. In the early 2000s, she co-founded Intelledox, a software company which was acquired in 2019 for an estimated $105M (MergerLinks). 

Expect insights into the early days of the internet, advice on how to hire amazing people and inspiring a culture of excellence.

Powered by the ANU Entrepreneurship Club

Production assisted by Lucy Gabbay for Woroni Radio. Credited to ANU Student Media (ANUSM).

After getting his PhD at Cambridge University, Craig worked in Defence before cofounding TakeABreak, an online holiday home rental company (similar to Airbnb), back in 2003. After selling the company into what eventually became Stayz, Craig has mentored thousands of start-ups through his work at the Canberra Innovation Network.

Episode 1 of the Move Fast Break Things Podcast

Powered by the ANU Entrepreneurship Club

Production assisted by Lucy Gabbay for Woroni Radio. Credited to ANU Student Media (ANUSM).