Promus Ventures Welcomes Estelle Godard as Investment Associate
We are excited to welcome Estelle to the Promus Ventures team. She joins us from the European Space Agency (ESA), where she focused on facilitating access to finance for space start-ups.
Estelle, we are delighted to have you with us — tell us your story!
Thank you, I am thrilled to join the Promus Ventures team! I grew up in a solid multicultural environment and lived in Luxembourg, Canada, and the United States. As a result, I developed a penchant for learning from other cultures and exposing myself to different mindsets. I have always been inquisitive and eager to learn as much as possible, so I followed a Dual Bachelor’s in Social and Political Sciences from Sciences Po Paris and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (UBC). I also have a Master’s in Economics and Public Policy from Science Po Paris.
One of my first professional experiences was with the United Nations in New York when space was getting higher on the Security Council’s political agenda. That is where I got a taste for space technology, particularly the commercialization of reusable launchers.
I then joined ESA’s Strategy and Business Development team and, as soon as it was created, its new commercialization department. My role at ESA was to develop and spur an investor network, identify fundraising pain points for start-ups, and develop new financial tools to support the ecosystem. It was a challenging yet incredible experience, as it felt like I was part of an internal “start-up” within a large, public organization. Of course, meeting with astronauts and visiting test centers was a great perk, too. I had four fantastic years working on various projects, and I’m grateful to my former teams for everything they taught me, professionally and personally.
What prompted you to move toward the VC sector?
My role at ESA drew me to interact with venture capital players, and my part was to stimulate their interest in the space sector. I realized, however, that venture capital could allow me to build upon my previous experience and work even closer with start-ups and inspiring founders. Moreover, I could also learn about innovative technologies not just in space but also in other relevant sectors for the future of humanity.
I have been privileged to get to know the Promus Ventures team, as we had the chance to collaborate on a joint project. I appreciated the firm’s Euro-American approach and how it operates with start-ups. Therefore, I felt a natural fit with the team. Their DeepTech outlook made sense to me, as I always believed the space sector should be seen as part of a larger tech ecosystem. Most Space Tech falls under the larger DeepTech category.
The move came as a natural next step for me, and I am very excited about joining Promus Ventures. As an Investment Associate, I will constantly exchange with the team, scouting for great entrepreneurs and investment opportunities. In addition, I am bringing my ESA experience to the table and will continue to strengthen ties with public institutions in developing support programs for start-ups. Finally, I will also get a macro-perspective of the interplay between various stakeholders involved in early-stage fundraising.
What keeps you busy outside work?
I enjoy traveling and am always eager to discover new places and experiences I can then share with friends through my photos or when cooking dinner for them. I also love diving. It requires being precise and rigorous in all body movements while observing and discovering the mysteries of the underwater world, which is very similar to how I feel about the space sector.
Promus Ventures invests in early-stage DeepTech start-ups solving complex problems to advance everyday lives worldwide. Some of Promus Ventures’ leading portfolio investments include Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB), Whoop, Spire (NYSE: SPIR), Mapbox, ICEYE, Bellabeat, Swift Navigation, AngelList, Behavox, Gauss Surgical, Figure Eight, Isotropic Systems, Halter, Cobalt, Safehub, and numerous others.
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