Lewis Pinault
Partner at Airbus Ventures,
Lewis Pinault
Partner at Airbus Ventures,
Menlo Park, California
Overview
Work Experience
Partner, Japan & Asia Pacific
2015 - Current
Developing and leading Airbus Ventures’ investments in Asia, aimed at the system elements boosting ascent to Z-Space, where we create new system value at each stage from ground to deep space. As our portfolio startups meet the interwoven challenges of Autonomy, Connectivity, Energy, Mobility and Security, they are set to free us from the constraints of gravity and bandwidth, releasing massive - and massively connected - system wealth. Trained as an MIT engineer and NASA geophysicist, I take special interest in science-driven startup opportunities that translate to systemic data-business advantages.
Board Director
2017
After leading and securing Airbus Ventures' lead investment in Infostellar's $8 million Series A round, I'm delighted and energised to serve as a board director for this pioneering startup now paving the way to low-cost high-access deep space communications infrastructure. Infostellar seeks committed talented people ready to change the space industry today - and the way we communicate in space, forever. See https://www.infostellar.net/careers
Board Director
2018
With Airbus Ventures' lead in Telexistence's $8m+ Series A round, we’re particularly excited to see this brilliant convergence of all the strengths of the University of Tokyo’s Tachi Lab, the superbly relevant capabilities of our co-investors in telecom connectivity, AI and robotics, and above all the technical and entrepreneurial wherewithal represented by Telexistence’s founders and diverse, richly talented team. I'm honoured to join the board of a company pioneering the actual commercial deployment of a human/ robotic avatar capability, and look forward to promoting the many potential Telexistence applications throughout our Airbus mothership network.
Board Director
2021
Q-CTRL offers advanced, intuitive and scalable quantum control engineering solutions - Making Quantum Technology Useful
PHD Researcher; viva voce passed February 2024
2014
As a research scientist I focus on the Search for Extraterrestrial Artefacts (SETA) in the Solar System, developing Machine Learning and other detection systems for micron-scale traces of Non-Terrestrial Artefacts, as well as algorithms & search systems for detection of Earth spacecraft hardware in high-resolution satellite imagery including NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Narrow Angle Camera data sets. I closely collaborate with the Tanpopo Astrobiology team at JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences, and as a member of the UK SETI Research Network, I work with leading UK academics to raise SETI awareness and advance the Science, Sociology, and Policy of First Contact.
Board Director
2020
Transcelestial delivers next-generation Free Space Optics for last-mile connectivity, testing and deploying secure, fibre-like last-mile connectivity at a fraction of the deployment time and cost of fibre.
Chairman and Board Director
2020 - 2024
Now set for Growth stage opportunities, AtlasAI found its origins in Stanford’s Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence Lab, (https://www.atlasai.co/) and continues to simplify land-based analytics and prediction with the power of advanced AI applied to satellite imagery and data sets from other sensors. For an exciting example of some the latest research they're involved in, in state-of-the-art methods for satellite image generation and the first large-scale generative foundation model for satellite imagery, see https://samar-khanna.github.io/DiffusionSat/.
Board Observer
2020 - 2023
LeoLabs is the mapping platform for space - allowing No Surprises - as they secure safe and sustainable operations in Low Earth Orbit. With their network of ground-based, phased array radars, LeoLabs produces high-resolution data on objects in LEO, providing unparalleled support for industries that rely on satellite services.
Member of the Seraphim Space Advisory Board
2018 - 2021
The world's first Venture Fund dedicated to financing the growth of companies operating in the 'new space' ecosystem, Seraphim invest in companies that are transforming global industries through application, use and enhancement of satellite and drone enabled data. The Advisory Board dissolved with the successful public listing of Seraphim Capital's investment trust in July 2021.
Director, Corporate Development
2016 - 2017
Leading Airbus Ventures due diligence work on Spire Global, thereafter I joined Spire on a concomitant year's assignment as corporate development director looking after their satellite data services business and product opportunities in ship- and aircraft-tracking, as well as in high-resolution weather prediction and precision geolocation services, particularly in Japan. Recently Spire opened its European headquarters in Luxembourg, and successfully closed its $70 million Series C round. Spire continues to look for exceptional people to join its fast-growing team: Challenge yourself, apply today! http://spire.com/careers/