Director of New Initiatives, Women In Aerospace Europe
Joerg specialises in technology commercialisation – with a strong focus on space – and has been involved in numerous primarily international activities in both space and early-stage equity finance since 1987 (i.e., support to the creation and early years of RapidEye). After pursuing a first career in space business he became a venture capitalist in the early 1990s. Joerg serves as a board member of several high-tech startups and investor boards, and has been involved with new business creation in the space arena around the globe. He holds a degree in aerospace engineering from RWTH Aachen University (Germany) and is an alumnus of the International Space University ISU. He acts as a lecturer at different universities since the 1990s and is a frequent speaker at international events. Joerg was born in 1961 and is married, with two children.
His firm JKIC (JOERG KREISEL International Consultant – Independent Space Business + Finance Advisors) was formed in 1991 in Germany and is focused on innovative and commercial activities related to the space sector, as well as on special activities in the private equity and venture capital industry. Today, JKIC is a recognised label in the global space community, advising space-related government authorities, industry, SMEs, and selected investors worldwide with a proprietary global network of leading expertise and acting as an intermediary. JKIC supports space commercialisation and new ventures, facilitates international partnerships, equity finance, global links, and strategy development, as well as new system concepts. The portfolio also spans financing strategies and models beyond commercial endeavours, e.g. conceptualisation and development support for national or international funding schemes. Since 2000, JKIC has been involved with On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (OSAM), and Active Debris Removal (ADR) activities with both space agency and industry projects or dedicated commercial endeavours. Joerg serves as Vice-Chair of the CONFERS Executive Committee.
In summary, Joerg has been involved in the space industry for 35 years and has dealt with early-stage finance for more than 30 years. He currently holds stakes in several space-related startups in different countries. Joerg is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Moreover, he is a founding member and Vice-Chair of the Entrepreneurship and Investment Committee (EIC) and a member of the International Program Committee (IPC) of the IAF. He also serves as an Associate Editor of the NewSpace journal.