Spirit Lake Star-Batt raises $100K on Kickstarter to power Starlink Mini

Spirit Lake resident Alex Mauri and Blanchard resident Andrew Cole turned a rapid crowdfunding win into a commercial device aimed at keeping Starlink Mini internet working through power outages and in remote searches. Their Star‑Batt portable battery, billed as a rugged, all‑in‑one power solution, is designed to power a Starlink Mini dish for up to 24 hours on a single charge and raised more than $100,000 through a Kickstarter campaign.

The founders say the idea came into focus shortly after SpaceX released the Starlink Mini in July 2024. Company materials state, "We officially launched Star‑Batt in October 2024 with a crowdfunding campaign to bring our vision to life." Those materials add that "our 30‑day fundraising goal was met in just 3 hours, and we successfully raised over $100,000 on Kickstarter," while a campaign banner also proclaims "Funded in only 4 hours !!" Both timing claims appear in the company copy.

Star‑Batt positions the product for outdoor adventurers, remote job sites, missionaries, emergency responders during natural disasters, search and rescue teams and government agencies including the United States Department of Defense. Company copy describes the Star‑Batt Mini as "a rugged, all‑in‑one power solution that unlocks the full potential of Starlink® Mini for adventurers and professionals alike," framing the device as both recreational gear and mission-critical backup power.

The founders’ backgrounds are central to the pitch. Andrew Cole, a mechanical engineer who built the first Star‑Batt, drew early feedback from fellow adventurers that "the response from fellow adventurers was overwhelming," according to company material. Mauri is a Marine Corps veteran and former police officer who has made Spirit Lake his home; a Coeur d’Alene Press profile summarized his message this way: "If there’s one thing Spirit Lake resident Alex Mauri wants people to take from his company’s story, it’s that the American Dream is alive and well."

Operations remain local and lean. The company established a home base at 6141 W. Maine St., and the founders "have yet to bring on full‑time employees." Instead, Cole and Mauri rely on what a local profile calls "10 full‑time contractors spread across the country." Mauri told reporters, "They’ve been with us since day one," and Cole added, "One of the strengths of a contract workforce is that it removes some of the load on us and we can focus on other parts of the business."

Scaling production brought early headaches. Coeur d’Alene reporting notes that parts not made in the U.S. are sourced overseas and that "global tariffs created some challenges with their first major inventory orders." The company says it has nevertheless "successfully scaled manufacturing" and has expanded beyond direct‑to‑consumer e-commerce sales where it began.

Looking ahead, Cole highlighted emerging opportunities across markets, saying, "Essentially every rock we look under, there’s a new market that we hadn’t thought of." Company copy frames the crowdfunding success as validation: "This overwhelming support confirmed what we already knew: people need reliable, off‑grid connectivity, and they believe in what we’ve built." As Star‑Batt moves from Kickstarter momentum into manufacturing and broader sales channels, the founders say they remain committed to pushing portable power toward more disaster-resilient and off‑grid use cases.