From Idea in the Shower to Mapping Earth in Real Time | Ep 229 with Chris Newlands Founder of Space Aye

Chris Newlands turned a shower thought into Spelfie—one of the fastest-growing apps of all time. Now, with Space Aye, he’s building the Google Maps of the future—live, in real-time, from space. In this episode, he shares how he navigated pandemic disruption, secured global patents, and built a platform that could reshape industries from logistics to disaster response.

Key Discussion Points:

• The origin story of Spelfie and how it reached the top 10% of global app downloads in one week

• How Space Aye aims to be “Google Earth Live”—combining satellite imagery with IoT and AI

• The real-world use cases: from wildfire tracking and search & rescue to anti-poaching and supply chain optimization

• Securing patents across the U.S., China, Japan, and Europe—and why that matters

• The privacy dilemma and how Space Aye balances innovation with global law

• What the former head of Google Maps said about Chris’ work—and why he joined the team

Takeaways:

• Big ideas can come from anywhere—even the shower.

• Real-time space data isn't sci-fi—it's here, and it could transform entire economies.

• Solving massive problems (like climate disasters or global shipping inefficiencies) is no longer a dream—it’s a business plan.

Closing Thoughts:
Chris Newlands reminds us that some of the most powerful innovations start with a simple question: What if we could see the world exactly as it is—right now? Space Aye may just be the 26th human capability, and Chris is the founder bold enough to launch it.