There are currently an estimated 9,000 satellites in use in space. By 2030, this number is expected to rise to as many as 30,000. Phil Ridley has recognized an opportunity in this increase.

The current method of satellite communication usually involves individual satellites sending information to a dish on Earth to which they are connected. Over the past three years, Ridley’s startup Quasar Satellite Technologies – which he co-founded with Dr. Ilana Feain – has developed a ground station that can supposedly communicate with dozens of satellites simultaneously.

It is compared to Wi-Fi for space and mimics the ability of a Wi-Fi router to connect to multiple devices simultaneously.

As Ridley told Capital Briefthe company’s ultimate future lies in the commercial space. As space becomes increasingly scarce, it believes its technology can help telecom, weather and mining companies stand out from the crowd and better monitor their activities. As it moves toward that future, however, Quasar has its sights set on a more immediate opportunity: serving the U.S. government.

That shift has already borne some fruit, but it’s also been a huge challenge. While Quasar is being accepted into the U.S. government’s second accelerator program and is close to signing a defense contract, the company is also working toward a Series A in a “challenging” VC environment, according to Ridley.