Julien Demonty
Who is Julien Demonty?
Julien Demonty is the co-founder of Veoware. Having worked on the production chains in various industries, he decided to accept the challenge, together with his business partner Julien Tallineau, to industrialise the production of components for space satellites.
The components that are used in the space industry are complex and require substantial investments. The start-up wants to standardise these products, making them scalable, so they become more affordable for everyone involved.
The space industry is expanding rapidly. We founded Veoware so everyone has access to it.
The keyword
Julien’s keyword? Perseverance.
We have been working on this project for four years. Initially we combined this with our day jobs. We really had to persevere, and abandon certain expectations. We have had our failures, but we are making progress and we are convinced that we are on the right track.
A job at the heart of innovation
According to Veoware, innovation meant finding alternatives to stand out and enter a very closed space sector, not easily accessible to a start-up.
We are witnessing a real space revolution. Previously, the only commercial missions were those of telecommunications, particularly satellite television. Today, commercial applications are developing, the number of satellites and the needs will increase. The market has to adapt to this revolution by reducing prices and manufacturing times.
To achieve this, Veoware has developed a standard product, that is innovative on the logistics and design level. The company is thus able to offer an equivalent product at a lower price. Thanks to standardisation, it can also guarantee much shorter delivery times.
Project in the spotlight
The first product that Veoware developed is a CMG (Control Moment Gyroscope), an attitude control unit to rotate a satellite.
This extremely efficient technology has been around for decades, although it used infrequently because it is risky and complex. It requires far-reaching and costly development, which is why it is mainly used for large satellites for military uses. We have miniaturised it so that it can be used on small satellites, making it modular and scalable.
Instead of being custom-built, the CMG will be mass-produced. Like the cylinders of a car, a combination of several CMGs can be used to tailor the product to engineers’ needs.
We can fulfil all kinds of requirements, starting from one single product, whether you are building a 100 kg or a 500 kg satellite. This approach will allow us to divide the production cost of such a component by ten, while offering a tailored product.
Brussels, City of Innovators
For Julien, the attractiveness of Brussels lies in its support for innovative companies.
We decided to set up shop in Brussels because that is where we found the first subsidies for our project. Currently I spend two days in the city every week, so there’s still plenty to discover.
What he likes about his job…
Julien likes the diversity of his job, which combines technology and engineering with other fields, such as business management, business development and business strategy.
I enjoy identifying new problems for which we can develop new solutions.
Career
Julien studied civil engineering, majoring in physics and nuclear physics, at the Université de Liège. He started out as a consultant at TechSpace Aero, which has since become Safran Aero Boosters. He then joined AGC, a company that produces glass for the automotive industry, then went to work for NMC, an Eupen-based producer of synthetic foam. That’s when Julien Tallineau, a friend from university, got in touch with him, asking him whether he was interested in establishing Veoware with him. The start-up company was founded in early 2018. In 2020, Veoware will participate in a space mission to test its very first component in space.
3 tips for Brussels innovators
1) Persevere, don’t give up. Even when you get more bad than good news in the beginning!
2) Surround yourself with the right people, with employees who have the right profile and on whom you can always rely during tough times.
3) Maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Figures
1) Veoware wants to divide the cost of spatial components and their delivery time by 10.
2) In 2020, an estimated 2 to 3,000 satellites will be circling our planet. This number is expected to multiply 10-fold in the next 10 years.