Go Alpha! Go MLV! Go Elytra! Go Blue Ghost! Go Firefly! Ad Luna! Ad Astra! We are literally shooting for the moon with our 1st space investment, Firefly Aerospace. After 6 years advising NASA and a beginning as a rocket scientist Marc Weiser has led our investment in amazing and dedicated team of entrepreneurs at Firefly that are defining the modern space and defense sector.
After 30 years as an entrepreneur & investor, I've completed a long orbit to return to my roots. I'm delighted to be working with the extraordinary & committed team of entrepreneurs, leaders, & innovators at Firefly Aerospace where I am joining the Board of Directors after leading the Series D financing. I quit a PhD in Aerospace at University of Michigan in 1995 to join one of the 1st dot-coms & never thought I'd touch space again. Upon returning to Ann Arbor years later, I believed entrepreneurship was a critical part of every engineer's education. I partnered with my now dear friend Thomas H. Zurbuchen to make entrepreneurial education an option for every Michigan student. Little did I know that through him, I'd be pulled back to space & the job of a lifetime, joining the NAC at NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Despite COVID & government shut downs, I spent 6 rewarding years as a volunteer working to open up meaningful partnerships & new commercial strategies for NASA. My enthusiasm for the sector was reignited & I hope I moved the needle even just a little bit while there. I always take the highest ethical path & avoided all conflict during that time by refraining personally or through RPM Ventures from investing in the space sector. However, the eyes of an entrepreneur never close & I was able to see the trajectory of the industry long before I could board the rocket myself. Thus, it will come as no surprise that I relaunched myself through this investment & believe with partners like AE Industrial Partners, LP that we can provide the fuel for Firefly to further establish itself as one of the critical players in the modern space & defense industries. Despite my enthusiasm, I've never lost my discipline as both an engineer or investor. The leadership & entire team at Firefly are some of the best engineers, technologists, & entrepreneurs I've encountered. Its reflected by both the product & business success the company has had while being the most capital efficient player in the industry. They have achieved orbit multiple times, few have; They have an integrated satellite platform that is redefining the services available in orbit; and, oh, they will land on the moon in the coming months. Launch. Land. Orbit. As we approach Thanksgiving, I realize that I am thankful that I'm back to my roots and have the opportunity to combine my youthful aspirations with a career shaped by many mentors. I hope to bring a mindset that seemingly unrealistic tasks can be accomplished with the right people, that shooting for the moon is not just a metaphor, and above all that I can be helpful to the remarkable team at Firefly who have already changed an entire industry. Go Alpha! Go MLV! Go Elytra! Go Blue Ghost! Go Firefly! Ad Luna! Ad Astra!