Joseph Keil

✨ Seraphim Space Index Highlights: Taxonomy 🌌 🛰 Downlink: Historically, it has been one of the smaller investment segments. However, the current and previous quarters have seen multiple significant deals with $30m+ rounds (Armada, Second Front Systems, Skyloom Global and Skylo Technologies). As a result of these deals, the category has seen the most significant year-over-year growth in investment. Technologies related to communications and cybersecurity are key enablers for satellite communications, one of the largest markets addressed by space today. 🔭 Build: is seeing increasing investment. We attribute this to the growth in the space segment, creating a larger market opportunity for businesses providing the building blocks for the space economy in terms of satellites, payloads,  and software. This quarter saw Hadrian, which produces precision machined components, raise the second largest round at $117m. 🚀 Beyond Earth: No standout deals in Q1 24. The TTM period has seen significant activity in large rounds from Sierra Space, Axiom, True Anomaly and more. In H2 2023, this sector attracted the greatest investment as investors back the next generation of space infrastructure. The sector has shown significant growth compared to the previous TTM period. Read the full index here for more details - https://lnkd.in/e2vfgrk4

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An incredible deep dive from Nathan M. into the cultural and structural issues that are plaguing Boeing and how they got to where they are today. This article should be turned into a business school case study it's that good. And many of these issues aren't unique to Boeing. The focus on financial engineering over actual engineering is an issue at play in many scaled aerospace and defense companies. A definite must-read! https://lnkd.in/gkdpF2tM

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Seraphim Space Index Highlights: Investment by Region for Q2 2024 🌎 In the TTM to Q2 2024, North America continues to lead with the greatest number of deals. Asia has been rapidly catching up with Europe over the last 4 years and is effectively on par today (149 in Asia and 150 in Europe). Deal volume in Asia is primarily driven by China, which holds the highest proportion in the geography, at 75 deals or 50% of total volume 🚀 Take a closer look at the breakdown via our interactive Index dashboard 👉 https://lnkd.in/gquUGMmP

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Today is a big day in global supply chain M&A. UPS is continuing to build on its focus on healthcare. Last year they acquired MNX, a UPS Company. The prior year they bought Bomi Group. In 2016 they purchased Marken. And today they are buying Frigo-Trans GmbH and BPL. UPS has stated their intent to grow healthcare logistics from $10 billion in 2023 to $20 billion in 2026. They are onto something. The global healthcare logistics market is $130 billion. And cold chain services can be used for a broader range of temperature-controlled markets. This is a high-margin niche in the supply chain arena, and it gives UPS the opportunity to create a competitive edge. This is good news for other leaders in cold chain. Tive Inc, Cold Chain Technologies, and others in this field are no doubt paying close attention! #supplychain #acquisition #coldchain https://lnkd.in/eXHRsZQH

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EVTOLs TAKE OFF Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (EVTOL) have achieved technological breakthroughs. Joby Aviation, Archer, BETA TECHNOLOGIES, and Wisk are all building aircraft for urban air taxis, logistics, defense, and medical applications. But without regulatory approval, none of them can gain access to "highways in the sky." That moment may have just arrived. The FAA has just published its final ruling on EVTOL. They announced the news at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition. The ruling gives powered-left aircraft a pathway to broad market adoption. Who will the biggest winners be? #EVTOL https://lnkd.in/eXpsAJsR

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In our latest Supply Chain Matters industry specific product demand and supply network perspective, we highlight some of the key findings of a recently published Accenture research sentiment study that focuses on the state of commercial aircraft industry supply networks. Some eye-opening findings. https://lnkd.in/eNRRC-49 #supplychainmanagement #procurement

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Alta Fox Calls for Immediate Strategic Review at Forward Air Corporation Another board that follows all of the tenets of modern "good governance" yet fails to drive value for shareholders. This board needs to either wake up or be gone. #corporategovernance #governance #boardsofdirectors #shareholdervalue #shareholderactivism #capitalism #institutionalinvestors

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AST SpaceMobile Stock Surges, Hits $5.6B Market Cap 🛰 Huge news from AST SpaceMobile as share price jumped another 18% yesterday, bringing its year-to-date market gains to a staggering 326%. The company’s market cap now sits at $5.6B, ranking it among the highest-valued space businesses in the world after SpaceX. AST SpaceMobile Stock Surges, Hits $5.6B Market Cap - Payload (payloadspace.com)

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I am excited to share that Seraphim Space has reached first close on our new early stage fund to support SpaceTech’s brightest stars 💫 With the space sector now entering the next phase of its transformation, the Fund will focus on investing at Seed and Series A stages in the next generation of visionary entrepreneurs looking to transform science fiction into science fact. Through this innovative model of supporting SpaceTech’s brightest stars from their inception through to helping them achieve escape velocity, Seraphim Space has gone on to establish itself as the most prolific SpaceTech investor globally, having supported more than 120 SpaceTech companies in 27 countries worldwide that collectively have raised more than $3 billion in funding🚀 Key themes the Fund anticipates investing in include: 👾 The application of artificial intelligence to the treasure trove of satellite data to unlock near real time insights about the world to help combat challenges posed by climate change and global security 🛰 The merging of terrestrial and space-based communications networks to enable ‘always on’ ubiquitous connectivity for both people and machines 👨‍🚀 Utilising the unique microgravity environment of space to drive the next wave of scientific breakthrough in areas such as biotech and material science 🌍 The creation of space-based networks for on-orbit edge compute, internet/ communications and data relay to power the developing in-orbit economy The Fund has already made nine investments aligned with some of these key themes into these world changing companies: -Hubble Network – Internet of Things satellite constellation for connecting directly to billions of Bluetooth enabled devices -Delos Insurance Solutions – Space data powered wildfire home insurance provider -ATMOS Space Cargo cargo return service for life sciences -Auriga Space – Novel electro-magnetic launch system Thanks to the entire team for their hard work and dedication into finding and supporting the most exciting SpaceTech companies globally. https://lnkd.in/e5At5aR2 #VC #Fundingnews #SpaceTech #Investinspace

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Summary: Lockheed Martin has made a $450 million deal to take satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital private, saving it from financial struggles. This is the first company that Lockheed Martin will acquire through its investment arm since 2007. Key takeaways: Lockheed Martin will buy Terran for $0.25 per share and retire its debt. Terran Orbital's major deal with Rivada Space Networks fell through, causing a decrease in cash reserves and the need for strategic options. Terran Orbital is the second space company to leave the public markets and was previously valued at over $1 billion. Counter arguments: Lockheed Martin previously proposed a higher offer for Terran Orbital, but the company introduced a "poison pill" plan to prevent the acquisition. The acquisition may not solve all of Terran Orbital's financial problems. #venturecapital #vc #venture #startups #defensetech

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Every year, over $700 billion is invested in R&D by top multinational companies. Yet, surprisingly, only 5% of these investments make it to market. This inefficiency not only strains resources but can also misdirect focus and dampen morale. At Innventure, we understand the challenge. Traditional commercialization options often fall short, leaving valuable technologies stuck in limbo. We provide a powerful alternative—a clear, effective pathway for groundbreaking technologies to reach the shelves where they belong. Ready to unlock the full potential of your R&D investments? Discover how we can help bring your innovations to life, lighten your burden, and deliver the value you seek. Learn more about our innovative process in the recent Forbes article below.

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🚨 New Episode Alert 🚨 We are delighted to share our new Portfolio Spotlight: Xona Space Systems with Co-Founder and CEO Brian Manning 🛰 In this episode, Leah Martin is joined by Brian Manning, Co-founder and CEO of Xona Space Systems. Xona is developing a commercial PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) service through a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites. Their technology provides secure navigation and timing services for autonomous vehicles, UAVs, mobile robotics, and other critical applications, ensuring resilience and accuracy for modern intelligent systems.   Also joining the conversation is Lewis Alun Jones, Investment VP at Generation Space. Listen in as Brian shares his background and the origin story of Xona, discusses the company's mission and scale, and highlights the importance of their work in the new space economy. Discover what sets Xona apart from its competition, its biggest achievements, and its vision for the future. 🌌   Listen here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ed8MzXbc - or on all major platforms #generationspace #podcast

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It's starting to look like the e-commerce fuelled growth in US domestic air cargo has come to an end. If this is the case, it could have profound implications for freighter aircraft demand in a market that is home to over 40% of the world's freighter fleet. Our latest analysis looks into how the relationship between economic growth, online shopping and domestic air cargo traffic has come apart. #express #ecommerce #aircargo #freighters #USA Trade Data Service https://lnkd.in/gzYTUYQS

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Some more insight into what we are building at Aerodome 📈🚀

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#supplychain #transportation Have you heard of Auger.AI? It's the company that former Flexport CEO Dave Clark is building. His departure from Flexport was sudden and looked like a political assassination from the outside. Differences over how the growth at Flexport could be achieved must have played a role. There surely were turf issues with the founder as well. Anyway, back to the topic on hand. Auger builds an advanced supply chain management software that leverages artificial intelligence to optimize and streamline logistics operations. On the surface much of it is par-for-the-course type stuff: real-time insights, better UI, and natural language queries. This doesn't strike me as the kind of vision that would get you $100 million in funding. Part of the vision is that data will be unified and thus can be shared across many different platforms. The founding team has identified all the right problems and they are looking to build an operating system for supply chains. Current technology in the industry is a mess, many folks still operate on Excel, and there is no way to integrate systems efficiently. Building a platform that collects, hosts, processes and disseminates data is absolutely the right approach. We've had this answer for a while now, and we have been offering easy ways to share data at Truckl, for example. The challenge to overcome is that you need to find a way to get everyone to play along. Scaling is the real challenge. Some integration will happen through AI and automation of interfaces, and some through simply sharing a user interface, which is what we have at Truckl. It sure looks like Auger will bring the industry one step closer to where it needs to be. #truckl #innovation

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Beta Technologies has raised $318 million in Series C equity capital. QIA led the raise and several of BETA’s largest investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company and TPG Rise Climate increased their ownership in BETA. Longtime customer United Therapeutics has also joined this round as an investor. The financing round was priced at an increased valuation relative to prior equity capital raises and was meaningfully oversubscribed. To date, BETA has raised more than $1 billion in equity capital. BETA TECHNOLOGIES Qatar Investment Authority Fidelity Investments Kyle Clark https://lnkd.in/eGa6VqTD #aviation #AviationNews #50skyshades #DailyNew  #raises #300M #additional #equity #capital #fund #growth #commercialization #TPGRiseClimate #ElectricAviation #safety #reliability #aircraft #chargers #eVTOL #ALIA #growing #infrastructure #network

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Logistics is at an exciting turning point, where data and technology fundamentally transform how we book and manage freight. I’ve always been passionate about how tech drives real change through improved visibility, speed, or smarter decision-making. On November 14, I’ll speak at Armstrong & Associates, Inc.’ 3PL Value Creation Europe Summit in Barcelona, Spain. I’m looking forward to diving deep into Data Analytics, Automation, and Freight Booking, and how these tools are reshaping international transportation management. We’ll be discussing key questions like: 1. How can data analytics enable smarter, faster decisions in logistics? 2. What role will automation play in building resilience into freight booking? 3. How can we harness these technologies to empower 3PLs and shippers alike? This is a chance for industry peers to connect and explore the insights that can elevate logistics strategy. Don't miss out! View the agenda and grab your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/geMqujiM I hope to see you there. #SupplyChainSummit #3PLSummit #LogisticsLeaders #Barcelona2024 #SupplyChainInnovation

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SSIT Portfolio developments in Q3 2024 🚀 🛰 ICEYE (20.2% of NAV) ranked #30 in the "Financial Times 1,000" ranking of Europe's fastest-growing companies. The company continued expanding its SAR constellation by launching three additional satellites in March. ☄ D-Orbit (14.8% of NAV) closed a €100m equity financing round to support international expansion, increased manufacturing, and expanded product line. 🌌 HawkEye 360 (9.5% of NAV) closed a $40m venture debt facility with Silicon Valley Bank, raising the company's total capital to over $400m. The company also successfully launched its two further satellite clusters bringing its total constellation to 29 satellites. 📡 LeoLabs (5.8% of NAV) appointed Tony Frazier as its new CEO. He previously led a $1bn+ business unit at Maxar Technologies and worked with customers across the US government and over 60 international customers. ☁ Tomorrow.io (1.8% of NAV) released the first radar data from its recently launched pathfinder satellites, confirming unprecedented accuracy. Read the full results here - https://lnkd.in/dwr-sFPU

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Flying feels routine after decades, but here’s what keeps it meaningful. For me, flying an airplane is kind of like driving a car. It’s a tool to get to and from work, especially in fighter aviation where the mission is paramount. The real enjoyment, though, comes from how flying closes the gap between places and helps create memorable experiences. After decades of flying, it’s still something I enjoy. Over time, even the most extraordinary skills can start to feel routine. But what matters is how those skills open up freedom and opportunities. Flying may feel like second nature now, but the value isn’t in the act itself, it’s in the experiences, connections, and memories it allows me to create. That’s what keeps it meaningful, no matter how many times I’ve done it.

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