“MEET THE FOUNDER”
From a missing actuator to power infrastructure for space.
Meet Thomas Sinn, Founder and CEO of Dcubed, making mission-critical space hardware easier to buy, integrate, and deploy.
Dcubed began with a missing component and a conviction that buying space hardware should not be so difficult. Founded in 2019 the company has grown from a release-actuator specialist into a global provider of deployment mechanisms, solar arrays and power systems. Its products serve more than 170 customers across five continents, with over 300 already operating in space. Thomas highlights the frustration that prompted him to start the company, the first launch that tested his confidence and Dcubed’s ambition to power future space infrastructure.
What convinced you this was a company worth building?
The idea for Dcubed came from a real problem I experienced firsthand. While working at a previous space company, we were offered the opportunity to fly a payload on a Rocket Lab mission, but only if we could deliver within three months.
As we rushed to prepare the spacecraft, I was surprised to discover that sourcing a critical component, a release actuator, within that timeframe was nearly impossible. Long lead times, custom development, and complex procurement processes were slowing innovation across the industry.
I realised that if we were struggling to access such a fundamental piece of hardware, many other space companies were likely facing the same challenge. That insight convinced me there was an opportunity to build a more commercial, product-driven approach to the industry, starting with the very component I was missing: a release actuator.
Dcubed was founded in 2019 with a simple idea: make reliable space hardware as easy to buy, integrate, and deploy as any other industrial component.
What are you hearing from customers that gives you confidence in what you are building?
What gives me confidence is that our customers increasingly see us as a partner, rather than simply a supplier. Many relationships that started with a single release actuator have evolved into collaborations on solar arrays, power systems, and future space infrastructure.
By working closely with our customers, we gain first-hand insight into the challenges they are trying to solve and where the industry is heading next. That allows us to innovate alongside them rather than in isolation. Together, we are developing the technologies that will enable the next generation of space capabilities, from more powerful satellites to future in-space industrial infrastructure.
The strongest validation is when customers come back not to buy another product, but to tackle the next big challenge together.
What is distinctive about the way your team works together?
We like to say that we combine an American innovation mindset with German engineering excellence.
We think big, move quickly, and embrace ambitious goals, but we back every idea with rigorous engineering and execution. That balance between optimism and precision is deeply embedded in our culture and has been a key driver of Dcubed's growth from a single-product company into a provider of advanced space infrastructure and power systems.
What has been the hardest moment in building the company and what did you learn from it?
The hardest moment was probably our very first launch in 2022.
Until then, we had spent years developing and testing our products. But this was the first time a customer had trusted us with hardware that was actually going to space. I remember sitting there on launch day, waiting for the Falcon 9 to lift off, and thinking: Did we really do everything? Is every screw tightened? Did we overlook something?
At that moment, a failed product in orbit could genuinely have meant the end of Dcubed. I even caught myself thinking that maybe a launch delay wouldn't be such a bad thing… But the Falcon 9 was on the pad. There was nothing left we could change.
That moment taught me something I still carry with me today: there is a point where you have to stop questioning and start trusting. Trust the work you have done, trust the processes you have built, and most importantly, trust your team. As a founder, you can always find another thing to worry about, but overthinking doesn't improve something that is already on top of a rocket.
The launch went perfectly, our products worked, and we had a huge party afterwards. More importantly, it was the moment when Dcubed went from a company promising that our technology would work in space to a company that had proven it.
What is the goal you are building toward, and what does the next stage of the journey look like?
Our goal is to beco[TS1] me the leading provider of space power infrastructure, from LEO all the way to the lunar surface and beyond. As humanity expands its presence beyond Earth, access to reliable, scalable, and affordable power will become one of the most fundamental enablers of commercial, civil, and defense capabilities.
We started with release actuators, expanded into deployable and rigid solar arrays, and are now leveraging our expertise in deployable structures to build the next generation of space power systems. Our ambition is to provide the power infrastructure that enables everything from lunar operations, satellite constellations, defense capabilities to in-space manufacturing and future orbital industrial platforms.
The next stage of our journey is demonstrating these new power capabilities in orbit and scaling from supplying critical components to delivering complete power solutions. As demand for energy in space continues to grow, we want Dcubed to continue being the trusted partner powering the next generation of space capabilities.
