Mark Boggett

CEO & General Partner

Mark is the CEO and co-founder of Seraphim, an investment firm dedicated exclusively to the global SpaceTech sector. In 2016, Seraphim launched the world’s first Space VC fund. Today, the firm also runs the Seraphim Space Accelerator across three continents, with more than $830 million raised for its alumni, and manages a space growth fund listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Together, these initiatives have built a portfolio of over 145 SpaceTech startups, making Seraphim the world’s most prolific investor in the space domain.

James Bruegger

CIO & General Partner

James, co-founder and CIO of Seraphim Space Manager LLP and co-founder of Generation Space LLC, Seraphim Space Accelerator and Generation Space Accelerator. He is a prolific venture capital investor in the global SpaceTech domain. James was an early venture capital investor in Arqit, ICEYE, LeoLabs and D-Orbit and led investments in several companies that went public, including Spire Global and AST SpaceMobile. Previously, he worked at YFM Equity Partners and Burlington Consultants, a boutique strategy consultancy that was acquired by Deloitte & Touche. James holds a first-class degree in History from University College London. James has been a fund representative on the boards of a range of global leading SpaceTech companies, including ICEYE, D-Orbit, Ultrasoc, ALL.SPACE (formerly Isotropic Systems) and Satellite Vu.

Rob Desborough

General Partner and Chair of Seraphim Space Accelerator

Rob is a partner at Seraphim Space Manager LLP and co-founder of Generation Space LLC, heading up the early stage investments. He is also a co-founder of the Seraphim Space Accelerator and Generation Space Accelerator, which were launched in 2018 and 2022, respectively, and are now among the world’s leading accelerator programmes for SpaceTech start-ups. Previously, Rob was with YFM Equity Partners as an Investment Director. Rob holds a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Glasgow and a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Information Technology Systems from the University of Strathclyde. Under Rob’s guidance the Seraphim Space Accelerator has graduated 119 SpaceTech start-ups, which have collectively raised over $885m in co-investment syndicated from more than 200 venture capital investors. He is a fund representative on the boards of Xona Space Systems, Altitude Angel and other early stage investments.

Sarah Shackleton

COO & Partner

Sarah is the COO at Seraphim Space Manager LLP and Generation Space LLC, and has 25 years of finance experience. Previously, Sarah was a partner at Development Partners International since its inception in 2007. She was responsible for administration of the firm and its funds, including legal, compliance, HR, IT, operations, facilities and ESG and also sat on the investment committee. Sarah has experience as an active board director on private equity fund general partners and investment holding companies. Before joining Development Partners International, Sarah was an Associate Director on the Technology Equity Research team at UBS in London, specialising in the telecommunications equipment sector and covering large-cap European companies, including Nokia, Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent. Sarah holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics and Accounting from the University of Bristol.

Bob Wigley

Partner

Bob Wigley is the Chairman of UK Finance, a Commissioner for Global Britain, and an entrepreneur and investor. He is also Chairman of Bink Ltd, Vesta Global Holdings Ltd and Vizolution Ltd. He is an Honorary Fellow of Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, a Visiting Fellow of Oxford University’s Said Business School and an Adjunct Professor of the University of Queensland. He is a Non-Executive Director of the Qatar Financial Centre Authority and Symphony Environmental plc. He is an advisory board member of Remora Ltd, TheCityUK, Privately SA, VML Ltd, Grant Thornton UK LLP and Cap10 Partners LLP.

Patrick McCall

Venture Partner

Patrick joined as a Venture Partner to the Company after working for Virgin Group for 25 years where he was Senior Partner. He was chair or on the board of eight companies that grew from being startups to being valued at over $1 billion. He was chair of Virgin Galactic, Virgin Orbit, Virgin Trains, Trainline and Virgin Unite, and was also a board director of many Virgin Group companies, including Virgin Active, Virgin Blue, Virgin Mobile USA, OneWeb and Virgin Money. He also spent 10 years as an investment banker at S.G. Warburg and has a degree in Economics and Agricultural Economics form Exeter University. Patrick is a director of three SSIT companies, ALL.SPACE, SatVu and D-Orbit.

Kenny Mumford

General Counsel & Partner

Kenny is General Counsel at Seraphim Space Manager LLP and has 25 years of legal experience with growth companies and venture capital investors. Previously, Kenny was a partner at MBM Commercial LLP for nearly 15 years, latterly as Head of Corporate. In that role, Kenny acted for high-growth companies and investors (including Seraphim Space), concerning all aspects of equity investment, fund formation, business sales and acquisitions, joint ventures and restructuring, alongside general corporate advice. Previous roles before MBM included In-house Counsel at Braveheart Investment Group plc, Investment Manager at Scottish Enterprise and Solicitor at Shepherd+ Wedderburn. Kenny is a solicitor and notary public in Scotland and holds an LLB (Hons) and Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Edinburgh.

Andre Ronsoehr

Investment Partner

Andre is a Partner at Seraphim Space Manager LLP. Andre joined the business following a career focused on the Space sector. Previously, he worked for almost a decade at Virgin Management, the family office of Sir Richard Branson. Andre co-led the seed investment in One Web in 2015 and was instrumental in investments into Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit. During this time, Andre worked hand-in-hand with the boards and C-level teams of each of these three pioneering space businesses, helping shape them into the $billion businesses they are today. Andre has been a fund representative on the boards of a range of SpaceTech companies, including Astroscale and PlanetWatchers.

Alexander Holt

Managing Director of Seraphim Space Enterprise

Alexander Holt joins in a new role as MD of Seraphim Space Enterprise (SSE), their global insights and acceleration division of Seraphim Space. As well as providing company acceleration support – with Seraphim Space Accelerator alumni achieving over $370m in investment - SSE also advises corporates and governments on their space strategies informed by the extensive data and insight accrued over the last decade as a leader in this field. Before Seraphim, Alexander spent ten years in the Scottish Government pioneering innovations in GovTech. He set up the multi-award-winning CivTech Programme and the GovTech Global Alliance, the international network of government innovation teams. His programmes have won multiple awards, including the Scottish Public Service Leadership Award, Apolitical’s Global Public Service Team of the Year (Climate category); he was listed as one of the Top 20 global leaders in GovTech and in the World Economic Forum’s ‘Top 50 Leaders navigating disruption’. He looks forward to bringing his energy and enthusiasm to the SpaceTech sector.

Maureen Haverty

Investment Principal

Maureen is Principal at Seraphim Space Manager LLP. Maureen joined the business following a successful career in the Space industry. She was COO at Apollo Fusion, a Space start up that was sold for $145m, where she was responsible for business development, manufacturing and complex programmes. She was also Senior Director of Corporate Development at Astra, a rocket launch company listed on NASDAQ. She has a first-class Batchelor Civil and Environmental Engineering (BE) degree from University College Cork and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from University of Manchester. Maureen is focused on deal origination, deal execution, portfolio management and fund operations in addition to actively supporting the associated accelerator activities.

Leah Martin

Head of Marketing

Leah is Head of Marketing and Communications at Seraphim Space Manager LLP and her role encompasses all things brand, PR, Marketing, strategy, communications and events. Previously, Leah was at Episode 1 VC, where she worked as Marketing Manager, working alongside the investment team and the portfolio of early stage companies. Leah is a CIM qualified marketing, communication specialist with specific experience working in VC, DeepTech and Finance. Leah is passionate about driving effective communication strategy as well as creating and sourcing engaging content to help bring stories to life.

Lewis Jones

Investment Principal

Lewis is Principal at Generation Space LLC and was previously an analyst at Seraphim Space Manager LLP. Lewis holds a first-class Aeronautics and Astronautics MEng degree from the University of Southampton, specialising in Spacecraft Engineering. Previously, he worked as a Thermal Analyst in the Rotatives department at Rolls-Royce, primarily focusing on the safety aspects of jet engines on Civil Aircraft. He also completed an internship at RBS in the Data and Analytics division. He is an avid Welsh Rugby supporter and a certified snowboard instructor.

Lucas Bishop

Investment Associate

Lucas joined Seraphim Space Manager LLP as an Analyst in November 2021, shortly after spending 2 months on the investment team as a Summer Intern. Previously, Lucas worked at Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage. He initially joined through their Engineering Apprenticeship programme, and then followed on to become a Mechanical Design Engineer for Telecommunication Spacecraft Structures. His work primarily concerned structural and propulsion system concessions, but also extended to design projects for Additive Layer Manufacture (ALM) bracketry. In this time, Lucas also completed a part-time degree in Engineering (BEng Hons) from the University of Warwick and secured a first-class result.

Rita Pignacca

Investment Associate

Rita is an Associate in the Investment Team at Seraphim Space Manager LLP. Prior to Seraphim, Rita was working as an Investment Banking Associate in the Global Industrials Group at Deutsche Bank in London. She holds a MSc and BSc degrees in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, as well as an MBA from London Business School with exchange program at Yale School of Management.

Ellie Gyaurova

Accelerator Manager - Generation Space

Ellie is Accelerator Manager for the US–based Accelerator Generation Space. She designs the programme, manages the end-to-end delivery, and works with both internal and external stakeholders such as industry partners, investors, and mentors to ensure the continuous improvement and growth of the Generation Space programme.
In the past, Ellie has had the opportunity to lead the delivery of numerous accelerators across various industries. Most recently she worked at Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation agency for transport, cities, and the built environment, where she helped startups to raise venture capital and scale by implementing their solutions within local government and mega projects such as High Speed 2 - Europe’s largest ever infrastructure project. Prior to that, she ran innovation initiatives for clients such as BMW and Serco, among others.

Alessandro Braglia

Accelerator Programme Manager

Alessandro runs the delivery of day-to-day activities, he focuses on ensuring the smooth running of our core programmes, relationship management, portfolio management and supporting additional ecosystem events. Alessandro has a background in impact investing, having spent three years as a Venture Capitalist and consultant for large international foundations and corporates. Alessandro also has extensive experience in the managing of grant projects throughout Europe and Africa through his position as Head of Philanthropy at Augmentum. Alessandro possesses two master’s, one in Disruptive Innovation and another in International Business from Hult International Business School. Furthermore, he holds executive education from Harvard and the University of Zurich in Impact Investing.

Jeff Jiang

Investment Analyst

Jeff is an Analyst on the Investment Team at Seraphim Space, joining shortly after spending 5 months with the team as an intern. Prior to Seraphim, Jeff interned at BDC's Seed Fund in Toronto, where he focused on investing in early-stage Canadian entrepreneurs. He holds an MFin in Finance from McGill University.

Manisha Koolman

Operations Manager

Manisha is the Operations Manager at Seraphim Space Manager LLP. She is responsible for Office Management and executing the day-to-day operations of all areas of the business alongside COO Sarah Shackleton. Previously, Manisha was an Executive Assistant, Receptionist and Project Manager at Davidson Kempner European Partners since 2021 and was responsible for executing projects within Finance, DEI, Employee Experience and Facilities, including the opening of a second London office and the introduction of the first library to DK in London. During her time, she led several creative initiatives within the DEI space and helped to promote awareness for the LGBTQ+ community across the firm. Prior to this, Manisha was an EA at Goldman Sachs Inc, working with the growing markets team in the investment banking division.

Manisha holds a first-class honours BSc degree in Business and Management from King’s College London, and a first-class honours BA degree from The University of Hong Kong. Her study abroad year was supported and recognised by the British Council, in which she received a scholarship for Academic Excellence.

Nicola Fisher

Executive Assistant

Nicola Fisher is the Executive Assistant at Seraphim Space Manager LLP. She is responsible for providing comprehensive support to our executive leadership, including Rob Desborough (General Partner and Chair of the Seraphim Space Accelerator) and James Bruegger (Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer). Nicola also offers dedicated diary and travel support to Sarah Shackleton (Partner & COO), Kenny Mumford (Partner & General Legal Counsel), and Andre Ronsoehr (Investment Partner). Additionally, she is instrumental in coordinating meetings, managing diaries, and facilitating external engagements with portfolio companies, investors, committees, and the Board. Previously, Nicola developed her expertise in executive assistance and office management within the financial services sector, primarily in investment banking.

Aida Khalil

Programme Associate

Aida is a Programme Associate for the Seraphim Space Accelerator. She oversees the programme's scouting activities and events and ensures the seamless onboarding of startups. She also strongly focuses on developing and maintaining relationships with ecosystem partners.

Having previously worked at Plug and Play Tech Centre and Santander X, Aida brings a background in corporate innovation, programme support, and event management. She holds an MA honours degree in Business Management from the University of Glasgow.

Marco Fuchs

Operating Partner

Marco Fuchs is one of Europe’s leading space entrepreneurs. Since becoming OHB’s CEO in 2000, he grew what had been a small family business into a globally operating satellite manufacturer and a top 3 European space company which is exchange listed. OHB SE won the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation system tender, expanded its workforce to around 3,000 employees and achieved revenues exceeding €1 billion. Fuchs' commitment to innovation has positioned him as a visionary leader and pioneer in the field.

Throughout his career, Fuchs has been a passionate advocate for European space initiatives, actively fostering collaboration among EU institutions, space agencies, and industry stakeholders. As the CEO of OHB SE, Vice President of the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI), and investors in numerous startups (including Constellr and Searoutes), he has continuously pushed the boundaries of space exploration and demonstrated his commitment to ensuring the global competitiveness of European satellite systems.

Hans Steininger

Operating Partner

Hans Steininger is considered one of the most renowned corporate leaders and experts in the aerospace sector. He has a master's degree in aerospace engineering and an MBA in engineering and industrial engineering from the Technical University of Munich and held several management positions at BMW.

As former CEO of MT Aerospace, Steininger steered the company to take a leading international position in lightweight construction utilizing metal and composite materials for space transportation, satellites, and aircraft equipment. With an order volume of ten percent, MT Aerospace is the largest supplier for the Ariane program outside France.

Since 2016, he has been an esteemed member of the Board of Trustees of Munich Aerospace, a distinguished Bavarian research network responsible for coordinating aerospace technology research in the greater Munich area.

As the founder and Managing Partner of Apollo Capital Partners, Steininger has played a pivotal role in driving investment and development in space-related businesses, consistently achieving impressive double-digit returns. His proficiency in M&A and private equity has allowed him to identify promising ventures and provide strategic guidance for their growth and success.

Arndt Geiwitz

Operating Partner

Arndt Geiwitz is renowned for his expertise in restructuring and transformation matters for over 25 years. As the Managing Partner at SGP Schneider Geiwitz group of law firms, Geiwitz oversees a team of 350 professionals across 24 locations. With his extensive experience and expertise, Geiwitz has been regularly appointed to handle high-profile proceedings across Germany and has made a significant impact in various industry sectors.

Geiwitz’s knowledge of the aerospace/new space sector has been acquired, among other things, as a member of the supervisory board of MT Aerospace, a subsidiary of OHB SE. Additionally, Geiwitz has provided guidance to a prominent German supplier of complex measurement trains, assisting them in incorporating New Space technologies through satellite control. This approach aimed to expand value creation and develop effective responses to the rapidly changing business landscape driven by disruptive forces. Arndt Geiwitz brings valuable insights and strategic guidance to Einstein Industries Ventures.

His profound knowledge and experience extend beyond restructuring and turnaround activities, encompassing a deep understanding of start-ups and scale-ups. Notably, Geiwitz has played a pivotal role as a co-founding partner of Vejo, an American-German foodtech start-up. He provided advisory support throughout the entire journey, from conceptualisation and technological implementation to market launch, customer acquisition, and revenue generation.

Christoph Keese

Operating Partner

Christoph Keese is an accomplished professional, focusing on downstream activities encompassing digital business models, financial models, investor relations, start-ups, and tech innovation. With his wealth of experience and expertise, Christoph has made substantial contributions to the industry.

As former CEO of Axel Springer hy, Christoph was instrumental in driving the company's digital growth, utilising his profound knowledge of digital business models and financial strategies to shape the organisation's success.

Furthermore, Christoph holds advisory board positions at Lakestar, POLITICO, Signa Sports United, and other esteemed organizations, leveraging his experience to navigate the start-up landscape and provide valuable insights into tech innovation.

Throughout his career, Christoph's remarkable dealmaking expertise has been evident, particularly during his tenure as an Executive Vice President at Axel Springer. His negotiation skills and knack for identifying and executing strategic deals have been pivotal in driving growth and fostering innovation within the organisation.

With a focus on downstream activities, including digital business models, financial models, investor relations, start-ups, and tech innovation, Christoph Keese is widely recognised as a prominent figure in the industry. His exceptional leadership and expertise have paved the way for successful business ventures and the advancement of technology-driven solutions.

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hermann

Operating Partner

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hermann gained decades of experience as an executive in the information solutions, industrial and start-up sectors with a strategic focus on the topic of digitalization. His core theme is the transformation of companies from operationally problematic situations into profitable growth assets. His entrepreneurial work has always been at the center of disruptive changes - first with the emerging importance of the Internet and finally the current radical transformation of the industry in the Internet of Things (IoT).
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In 2020 Ulrich was part of a buy in Team to assume responsibility as CEO in the acquisition of an insolvent BEV start up, e.GO Mobile in Aachen, including a factory under full production and 440 employees. Ulrich managed the restructuring and merger of the company with a SPAC listing at NASDAQ.‍

Prior to this, Ulrich was member of the Executive Board (Chief Digital Officer, Head of Global Sales and Services, Software and Global IT) of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG and assumed responsibility of a P&L of €1.2 bn. Ulrich was the first to introduce Machine as a Service (MaaS) in the industry and shifted the machinery company into recurring revenues, established the “Heidelberg Digital Unit - HDU” and led to a significant increase in earnings.
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Before this, as expert of information software solutions business and as seasoned leader of change in transforming organizations, for more than a decade Ulrich has been the European CEO of Wolters Kluwer Germany and Central Europe. Here he was an important driver of the transformation of the global company where Wolters Kluwer transformed from a €2.2 bn declining print business back in 2005 when Ulrich started as CEO in Germany into a €4.3 bn fast growing business in 2016, with more than 90% of recurring revenue based on its today’s global digital information and software solutions. Germany and Central Europe have been an instrumental nucleus of such development. Wolters Kluwer's stock market value tripled by 2016 already and tripled until today again.

Ulrich Hermann is a mechanical engineer and started his career at Bertelsmann. He is honorary

Matt O’Connell

SSIT Investment Committee

Matt is a recognised thought leader in the geospatial intelligence industry. Currently an Operating Partner at DCVC, supporting their investments, including Space companies Capella and Planet. Matt has been working with Seraphim Space since 2018. Before that, he was CEO of OneWeb until July 2016. In 2006, he founded GeoEye (NASDAQ: GEOY), a leading global provider of satellite and aerial imagery and digital mapping information, which was acquired by Digital Globe in 2013 for $1.3bn. He has served on several private company boards and government and industry advisory commissions. Matt serves on Seraphim Space Manager LLP’s Investment Committee as an independent member to advise and address any conflicts of interest.

Ann Winblad

SSIT Investment Committee

Ann is a Managing Director of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, a venture capital firm she co-founded in 1989. She is a well-known and respected software industry entrepreneur and technology leader. Ann’s firm has launched over 160 enterprise software companies and led investments that pioneered successful companies across the enterprise software sector. She served as a director of numerous private and public companies including MuleSoft, Hyperion, Sonatype, The Knot, Liquid Audio, Net Perceptions and Ace Metrix. She also currently serves as a Director of OptiMine. Ann serves on Seraphim Space Manager LLP’s Investment Committee as an independent member to advise and address any conflicts of interest.

Dylan Taylor

SSV II Investment Committee

Dylan Taylor is a global business leader, commercial astronaut, thought leader and philanthropist. Dylan serves as Chairman & CEO of Voyager Space, a multi-national space exploration firm focused on building the next generation of space infrastructure for NASA and other global space agencies. As an early-stage investor in more than 50 emerging space ventures, including Axiom, Kepler, York, Astrobotic, LeoLabs, Relativity, and Planet, Dylan is considered the most active private space investor globally. Dylan has extensive global business experience as both a board director and CEO in several industries, including advanced electronics, finance and real estate. He previously served as a Director for UMB Bank, a Fortune 500 company based in Kansas City and as a mutual fund director for the Jackson Funds where he oversaw assets of $8B across 130 distinct funds. He has also served in the roles of CEO, President and Board Director for multinational companies like Prudential PLC, Honeywell, Colliers and Jones Lang LaSalle. Dylan was recognized as a Fortune 1000 CEO with P&L responsibility in excess of $3B and operations encompassing 15,000 employees in over 60 countries. In addition, Dylan has participated in 4 IPOs over the course of his career.

Rafferty Jackson

SSV II Investment Committee

Rafferty is active in the early stage space and autonomy startup ecosystem. Annually, she directs the industry-leading Startup Space Competition at the Satellite Show in Washington DC and mentors hundreds of deep tech startups at accelerators, incubators, venture studios, and US military startup events. She is a NED at Opteran Technologies and an advisor to Xona Space Systems, both Seraphim accelerated and invested companies. Rafferty made a name for herself as an accomplished operator on the executive leadership team at Beats by Dr. Dre with its sale to Apple for $3B. Rafferty serves on the Seraphim Space Venture Fund II LP’s Investment Committee as an independent member to advise and address any conflicts of issue.

Candace Johnson

SSIT Investment Committee

Candace has a long and distinguished career as founder/co-founder of Space ventures such as SES ASTRA, SES Global, Loral-Teleport Europe and Europe Online, as well as having played critical roles in developing Space sector leaders, including Iridium and ILS. An experienced venture capitalist and investor, she has been a member of the Strategic Committee of Iris Capital for the past decade and, until recently has served as President of the European Business Angel Network, now President Emeritus. Candace serves and has served on the boards of a number of emerging Space leaders, including NorthStar Earth and Space and Kacific. Candace serves on the Seraphim Space Manager LLP’s Investment

Henrik Schliemann

SSV II Investment Committee

Henrik is the Managing Partner of Serapis LLC, acting as an investor, advisor and board member to various family controlled businesses globally, having previously held significant positions in the financial and banking sectors. For the past two decades, Henrik has served on the board of directors and as a strategic advisor to Iridium Communications Inc, underscoring his access to and intimate knowledge of the New Space economy. He is also a board member of Einstein Industries Ventures, a European consulting and investment platform focused on space-enabled technology solutions. Henrik serves as a member of the Independent Investment Committee of Seraphim Space Venture Fund II LLP. Henrik is an executive director of Philip Breuel Stiftung, a Hamburg based foundation supporting the education of children from deprived backgrounds. He graduated with dual degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and served on the Huntsman Program's advisory board.