Space startups today look a lot like the internet in 1995 – early, chaotic, and packed with upside for the founders brave enough to build in the void. With VCs going all in on space, Techstars betting big on the category, and an entire industry quietly taking over venture capital, this is a moment founders can’t ignore.

In this episode of Demo Day, Techstars Space Managing Director Gabriel Schlumberger breaks down why “SPACE IS THE FUTURE” is more than a catchy thumbnail – it’s an actual investing thesis. Gabriel explains how launch costs, new business models, and a surge of satellites are turning space into one of the most important frontier markets for startups and venture capital.

Gabriel shares his journey from Pixar, Blue Sky, and Disney to becoming a founder himself, building an FDA‑regulated glasses startup for kids in the middle of a global pandemic, and then stepping into his role at Techstars Space. That experience across creative studios, corporate innovation, and true zero‑to‑one startup chaos shapes how he now evaluates founders and why he’s so bullish on space companies.

You’ll learn:

• Why space today feels like the internet did in 1995, and what that means for startup timing and upside.
• How Techstars is betting big on space through its accelerator with NASA JPL and the U.S. Space Force.
• The trait Gabriel calls “pathological curiosity” and why it separates the best founders and VCs.
• What actually happens inside Techstars: mentor weeks, “give first” culture, and how a few teams get picked from hundreds of applicants.
• A real founder story: running a hardware and medical device startup through COVID, fundraising, manufacturing, and brutal unknowns.

Whether you’re a founder thinking about space, a SaaS builder curious about frontier markets, or an investor trying to understand the industry quietly taking over VC, this episode is a masterclass in how the next decade of startups will be built.