Your Mission Control

Mark Boggett

CEO & General Partner

Mark is a pioneer in SpaceTech investment having co-founded Seraphim Space Manager LLP, Generation Space LLC, Seraphim Space Accelerator and Generation Space Accelerator and launched the Seraphim Space LP fund, UK Space Tech Angels and Seraphim Space Investment Trust PLC. Previously, Mark was a director at YFM Equity Partners, the firm behind the high profile British Smaller Companies VCTs 1 & 2. He also worked at Brewin Dolphin and Williams de Broe. He completed his undergraduate degree in Accounting & Finance and Master’s in Economics and Finance from the University of Leeds. Mark has been a fund representative on the boards of a range of global leading SpaceTech companies, including LeoLabs, Spire Global (listed on NYSE), Arqit (listed on NASDAQ) and HawkEye 360.

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 & CEO 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 a co-founder of 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 Camp Accelerator has graduated 63 SpaceTech start-ups, which have collectively raised $200m in co-investment syndicated from 73 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

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.

Matt O’Connell

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

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.

Candace Johnson

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 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.

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.

Patrick McCall

Venture Partner

Patrick is a Venture Partner for Seraphim Space Investment Trust PLC and was the former chair of Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit. He was a Director at Virgin from 2001 and developed businesses including Virgin Active and Virgin Trains. His most recent role was senior partner at Virgin Group. He played a key role in brokering the agreement for Virgin to launch a satellite from Cornwall in 2023.

Bob Wigley

Partner

Bob Wigley is 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 a 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.

Kenny Mumford

General Counsel

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, laterally as Head of Corporate. In that role Kenny acted for high growth companies and investors (including Seraphim Space), in relation to 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, 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 Investment 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 at Seraphim Space Manager LLP and her role encompasses all things brand, PR, Marketing, communications, strategy, 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 and event specialist with specific experience working with early-stage start-ups. Leah is passionate about effective communication strategy, brand building as well as creating and sourcing engaging content to help Seraphim bring its mission to life.

Lewis Jones

Investment Vice President

Lewis is Vice President 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.

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.

Alessandro Braglia

Programme Manager

Alessandro is the Junior Programme Manager for the Seraphim Space Accelerator. He runs the delivery of day-to-day activities, he focuses on ensuring the smooth running of our core programme 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 experience 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.

Savannah Coomber

Marketing and Operations Assistant

Savannah is the Junior Marketing and Operations Assistant at Seraphim Space, working alongside our Marketing Manager on brand strategy, helping to reach new audiences and increase brand awareness. She graduated from the University of Exeter with a first-class honour’s degree in Politics and recently completed the Business and Climate Change: Towards Net Zero emissions course with the University of Cambridge. Savannah actively assists with research for a non-profit organisation ‘Zero Ideas’, which is developing new solutions for business leaders’ climate action.

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.

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.