Jump to content

Max Polyakov

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Shelbyhoward423 (talk | contribs) at 15:53, 23 March 2022 (→‎Firefly Aerospace: added current information). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Max Polyakov
Personal details
Born
Polyakov Maxim Valeryevich
Поляков Максим Валерійович

(1977-06-30) 30 June 1977 (age 47)
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
NationalityUnited Kingdom
Children4
ResidenceScotland
EducationOles Honchar Dnipro National University
OccupationBusinessman and philanthropist. Managing Partner of Noosphere Ventures and co-owner of Firefly Aerospace

Maksym "Max" Polyakov (born 30 June 1977) is an international technology entrepreneur,[1] investor, economist, and philanthropist. Polyakov is a general partner in the venture fund Noosphere Ventures Partners LP which invests in a number of technology companies over the global scale.[2][3][4]

Dr. Max Polyakov was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. His parents were engineers at JSC Khartron (Hartron), a Ukrainian rocket and space enterprise engaged in the development of control systems and electronics.[5] Though his parents advised him not to engage in the space industry, his passion brought him to develop several space companies.

Polyakov has a business philosophy with deep scientific roots. He follows the idea of Ukrainian scientist Volodymyr Vernadsky who claimed that knowledge is the driving force behind every further positive development on Earth.[6][7] Polyakov believes that space-based technologies can and should be used to solve problems on Earth.[8]

Education

Maksym "Max" Polyakov was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. In high school, Polyakov won competitions in math and physics, then scholarships. In 2001, Polyakov graduated from Zaporizhzhia State Medical University as an obstetrician-gynecologist.[9]

In 2013, Polyakov was awarded a Ph.D. in International Economics and in 2019, earned a Doctor of Economic Sciences.[10]

He is a co-author of philosophical and scientific works on noospherology, semiotics, and innovation in economics.[11]

Max Polyakov owns 18 patents.[12]

Business

While studying at the university, Polyakov launched his first software outsourcing business.[13] Following the success of his first venture, he set up a number of successful tech businesses.

Polyakov co-founded the IDE Group which included the companies Cupid, Murka, HitDynamics and Maxymiser in 2005.[14][15][16][17][18] Polyakov took Cupid public on the London Stock Exchange in 2010.[19][20] In 2015, Polyakov’s startup Maxymiser was bought by the American corporation Oracle.[21][22] Blackstone bought out Murka project group in 2019.[23][24][25][26][27]

Currently, Max focuses on the space industry in an attempt to build a vertically integrated holding company type through Noosphere Ventures asset management firm. The goal is to unite a whole cycle of space mission development to enable fast and affordable access to space.[28]

Noosphere Ventures

In 2014, Polyakov founded Noosphere Ventures, an international asset management firm dedicated to the development of space technology.[29] The same year, Polyakov created Noosphere Engineering School (NES).[30] Noosphere Ventures hosted the 2016 FAI World Championships for Space Models in Ukraine.[31] Noosphere Ventures portfolio includes D-Orbit,[32] a global provider of space logistic services, and electric rocket propulsion developer Space Electric Thruster Systems (SETS).[33] In 2018, the SETS team was awarded the Seal of Excellence Certificate by the European Commission as part of the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.[34] Flight Control, liquid rocket engines manufacturer, also belongs to Noosphere Ventures portfolio.[35]

EOS DATA Analytics

In 2015, Polyakov's Noosphere Ventures created EOS DATA Analytics, a company for processing and analyzing satellite data.[36] Four years later, EOS implemented the World Bank partnered with the EU to launch a project on satellite-based monitoring of agricultural land use.[37][38] EOS DATA Analytics also partnered with the €10 million Goldeneye Project[39][40] will run real time monitoring of five mines in Europe (Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Kosovo and Romania) to improve safety, environmental impact, and mine profitability by creating a platform that combines Earth observation technologies with on-site sensing.[41] In October 2021, Dragonfly Aerospace has announced an agreement with EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA) to use its new 100kg class µDragonfly satellite bus. The agreement will see EOSDA use the satellite bus as the platform for the two DragonEye electro-optical imagers.[42]

Firefly Aerospace

Main article: Firefly Aerospace

Polyakov's Noosphere Ventures acquired assets of Firefly Space Systems and later launched a new company keeping the original Firefly brand in 2017.[43][1][44] By May 2018, a Firefly research and development center was opened in Polyakov's hometown of Dnipro.[45] In November of the same year, Firefly Aerospace entered the list of companies selected by NASA for its lunar exploration program with a total budget of $2.6 billion.[46][47][48]

In 2019, the U.S. Air Force selected Firefly to participate in the Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4) along with Rocketdyne.[49][50][51] In 2021, NASA awarded Firefly a $93.3 million to deliver a suite of 10 science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon in 2023.[52][53][54] Firefly The team successfully performed pre-flight of their alpha rocket in September 2020.[55][56] On May 4, 2021, CBInsights listed Firefly Aerospace as a 'unicorn' startup having achieved $1 billion valuation.[57] Firefly expected to make a second Alpha launch attempt in early 2022, but the flight is delayed.[58] In August 2021, Firefly Aerospace has hired Lauren Lyons, a former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineer, as its new chief operating officer.[59]

On September 3, 2021, a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle Firefly Alpha exploded a few minutes after launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.[60][61] Firefly Aerospace had raised $75 million to prepare for this launch.[62]

On February 24, 2022 it was announced that Polyakov and his company Noosphere will sell their stake in Firefly to AE Industrial Partners.[63]

Dragonfly Aerospace

In April 2021, Max Polyakov bought majority stake in Dragonfly Aerospace, a South African satellite engineering company.[64][65]

Philanthropy

In 2016, Polyakov created the non-profit organization Noosphere Association, which organizes  STEM events such as BestRoboFest robotics festival and the Noosphere Vernadsky Challenge engineering startup competition.[66][67] Noosphere Ventures hosted the 2016 FAI World Championships for Space Models in Ukraine.[68] On June 7, 2021, Noosphere Ventures co-sponsored the 11th Annual Space Foundation Student Art Contest.[69] Since 2017, Noosphere Association has sponsored and supported the NASA Space Apps Challenge in Dnipro.[70][71]

In March 2022, Polyakov along with EOS Data Analytics appealed to the global remote sensing firms and organizations to provide real-time SAR data to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine with actionable intelligence. After issuing a plea for companies to share imagery, Polyakov took aim at firms in the United States, Europe and South Korea that he said were taking advantage of the Russian invasion to recruit Ukrainian aerospace engineers. [72]

Controversies

A two-year study of the fact-project "Snopes" led to an investigation by the BBC and Kyiv Post to show that before working in the space industry, Max Polyakov earned on the market of dating sites.[73][74][75] [76][77] Noosphere Ventures released a statement refuting Snopes investigation claiming that Max Polyakov had left the company in 2012 and connecting publication of the material with a lawsuit filed by former Firefly Systems investors.[78] In December 2021, the U.S. government requested Max Polyakov to sell his stake in the rocket company Firefly Aerospace Inc. due to national security concerns, despite all the pre-caution measures taken by the management earlier and no prior questions to ownership. [79] On February 24, 2022 it was announced that Polyakov and his company Noosphere will sell their stake in Firefly to AE Industrial Partners.[63]

Personal life

Polyakov moved to Silicon Valley where he co-founded the venture capital fund Noosphere Venture Partners in 2012.[80] In 2021, Polyakov moved to Edinburgh, Scotland.[81] In one of the interviews, Polyakov was described as “A lightning-fast talker with a rugby player’s build and a salesman’s disposition.”[82]

Family

Max Polyakov is married with four children.[83]

Polyakov’s father Valeriy wrote operating system software for Soviet space rockets. His mother developed hardware systems meant to make the rockets reusable.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "A Rocket Mogul Is Preparing to Launch a Union of U.S. and Soviet Technology". Bloomberg.com. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  2. ^ Desk, News (22 October 2020). "EOS Data Analytics to launch a satellite with dragonfly multispectral imagers in 2022". Geospatial World. Retrieved 22 October 2020. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ "Max Polyakov: An Entrepreneur and Philanthropist". 19 July 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  4. ^ Cronin, Mike (20 March 2020). "From Bankrupt to Blasting Off". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 30 July 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ ""Сынок, ракетчиком ты не станешь": история Максима Полякова и его космического стартапа Firefly". Экономическая правда (in Russian). Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Vernadsky Challenge - The Engineering Startup Competition organized by the Noosphere Association". vernadskychallenge.com. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Noosphere Ventures aims to build an integrated space powerhouse: Q&A with managing partner Max Polyakov". SpaceNews. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Where does space junk come from – and how do we clean it up?". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  9. ^ a b Vance, Ashlee (22 September 2020). "A Rocket Mogul Is Preparing to Launch a Union of U.S. and Soviet Technology". Bloomberg.
  10. ^ "Max Polyakov | Noosphere". noosphereglobal.com. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Академия Google". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Maxym Polyakov Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  13. ^ Vance, Ashlee (22 September 2020). "A Rocket Mogul Is Preparing to Launch a Union of U.S. and Soviet Technology". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  14. ^ Northrop, Alasdair (6 October 2011). "THE BIG PROFILE- Bill Dobbie of Cupid: Boom time for online dating boss". Business Insider. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Cupid buys Uniform Dating for £7m". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  16. ^ Hesse, Jason (2 March 2010). "EasyDate: taking online dating to the next level". realbusiness.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  17. ^ Berger, Eric (11 February 2019). "After a remarkable resurrection, Firefly may reach space in 2019". Ars Technica. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  18. ^ Reuters Staff (13 December 2010). "Easydate plans name change after Cupid.com buy, easyJet spat" – via www.reuters.com. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  19. ^ ""Синку, ракетником ти не станеш". Історія українця Максима Полякова та його космічного стартапу Firefly". Економічна правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  20. ^ "Украинский предприниматель спас ракетную компанию Firefly: рассказываем ее историю". AIN.UA (in Russian). 16 February 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  21. ^ Berger, Eric (11 February 2019). "After a remarkable resurrection, Firefly may reach space in 2019". Ars Technica. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  22. ^ "Oracle Buys Maxymiser". www.oracle.com. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Украинец, который запускает ракету в США, продал разработчика игр большой группе". Экономическая правда (in Russian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  24. ^ "Американская Blackstone купит украинского разработчика онлайн-казино". РБК. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  25. ^ БизнесЦензор. "Американская группа покупает украинского разработчика онлайн-казино". БизнесЦензор (in Russian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  26. ^ Михайлова, Лера (19 March 2019). "Американская Blackstone Group запланировала купить украинского разработчика онлайн-казино Murka — Финансы на vc.ru". vc.ru. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  27. ^ "Макс Поляков продает разработчика онлайн-казино Murka. Сумма сделки может достигать $100 млн". MC.today, украинский онлайн-журнал о предпринимательстве (in Russian). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  28. ^ "Noosphere Ventures aims to build an integrated space powerhouse: Q&A with managing partner Max Polyakov". SpaceNews. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  29. ^ "Noosphere Ventures | Technology Knowledge Humanity". 3 September 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  30. ^ "Max Polyakov | Noosphere Ventures". 30 June 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  31. ^ "The 2016 FAI World Championships for Space Models | Noosphere". noosphereglobal.com. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  32. ^ Sheldon, John (20 December 2019). "Italy's D-Orbit Announces Investment Round Led By Seraphim Capital VC Fund". SpaceWatch.Global. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  33. ^ "Max Polyakov buys Dragonfly Aerospace to fill out integrated space strategy". SpaceNews. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  34. ^ "European Commission Certificate". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  35. ^ "Noosphere Ventures Partners — Forbes.ua". forbes.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  36. ^ "Noosphere Venture campaign begins coming together with radar constellation". SpaceNews. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  37. ^ "В Україні почали моніторити із космосу використання сільгоспземель". www.ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  38. ^ "В Україні супутники тепер будуть моніторити стан сільськогосподарських земель". Mind.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  39. ^ "Ukrainian EOS team receives €300,000 grant from European Union |". 27 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  40. ^ "Ukrainian EOS team receives a grant of €300k from European Commission". AIN.UA. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  41. ^ "Earth observation and Earth GNSS data acquisition and processing platform for safe, sustainable and cost-efficient mining operations".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  42. ^ Faleti, Joshua (27 October 2021). "Dragonfly Aerospace to Deliver the First Imaging Satellite for EOSDA". Space in Africa. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  43. ^ Berger, Eric (11 February 2019). "After a remarkable resurrection, Firefly may reach space in 2019". Ars Technica. Retrieved 26 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ O'Kane, Sean (12 February 2020). "Space startup's founders linked to shady dating website ring". The Verge. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  45. ^ "Как устроен завод частной космической компании Firefly Aerospace в Днепре — фоторепортаж". AIN.UA (in Russian). 2 March 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  46. ^ Daines, Gary (29 November 2018). "Firefly Aerospace Concept for Launch Vehicle with Moon Lander". NASA. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  47. ^ "Компанія українця потрапила в програму NASA з бюджетом понад 2,6 мільярда доларів". Економічна правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  48. ^ "NASA Announces New Partnerships for Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery Services". NASA Solar System Exploration. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  49. ^ "Украинская компания Firefly будет использовать разработки Rocketdyne для своих ракет - Техно 24". 24 Канал. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  50. ^ "Firefly partners with Aerojet Rocketdyne, mulls AR1 engine for Beta launch vehicle". SpaceNews.com. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  51. ^ "US Air Force Selects Firefly for Orbital Services Program-4 Contract - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  52. ^ Hautaluoma, Grey (4 February 2021). "NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace for Artemis Commercial Moon Delivery in 2023".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  53. ^ "Firefly awarded NASA contract for CLPS Lunar Lander". SpaceFlight Insider. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  54. ^ "NASA awards $93.3 million to Firefly Aerospace for moon mission technology". SlashGear. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  55. ^ "Space Notes: Spaceflight makes launch deal, RBC Signals to host Swarm, and a new fellowship is born". GeekWire. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  56. ^ "Official Page For Firefly's "Blue Ghost" lander". 4 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  57. ^ "The Complete List Of Unicorn Companies".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  58. ^ Evers, Michael Sheetz,Andrew (20 November 2021). "Take a look inside Firefly Space, as the rocket builder prepares for a second orbital launch attempt". CNBC. Retrieved 23 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  59. ^ "Firefly hires former SpaceX, Blue Origin engineer as COO". SpaceNews. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  60. ^ "Firefly Alpha explodes during first launch". SpaceNews. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  61. ^ Roulette, Joey (3 September 2021). "Firefly's Alpha rocket detonated by Space Force during first launch". The Verge. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  62. ^ "Max Polyakov's "Firefly" failed to launch a rocket into space". Economic Truth (in Ukrainian). 3 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  63. ^ a b https://spacenews.com/ae-industrial-partners-to-acquire-stake-in-firefly-from-noosphere/
  64. ^ "Dr. Max Polyakov Purchases Majority Stake in Dragonfly Aerospace | Noosphere Ventures". 27 April 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  65. ^ "Max Polyakov buys Dragonfly Aerospace to fill out integrated space strategy". SpaceNews. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  66. ^ "Max Polyakov Has Held A Technofest For 25,000 Visitors - Irish Tech News". 26 June 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  67. ^ "Максим Поляков и Дмитрий Шоломко запустили конкурс для стартапов с призовым фондом в миллион гривен". AIN.UA (in Russian). 10 March 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  68. ^ "Кубок Янгеля определил финальный состав сборной Украины на Чемпионате мира | FRMS". frms.ua. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  69. ^ Space Foundation Editorial Team. "SPACE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 11TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ART CONTEST". Space Foundation.
  70. ^ "NASA Space Apps Challenge Hosted by Max Polyakov and Noosphere Ventures Help To Look at the Pale Blue Dot from a different perspective - North East Connected". 30 August 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  71. ^ "Ukrainian team FireWay wins NASA Space Apps Challenge 2020". AIN Capital. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  72. ^ "EOS Data Analytics issues urgent plea for imagery of Ukraine". SpaceNews. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  73. ^ Alex Kasprak (12 February 2020). "Savage Memes and Lunar Dreams: Deceptive Dating Sites' Intimate Ties to Firefly Aerospace". Snopes. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  74. ^ Ron Mendoza (14 February 2020). "Space Startup Firefly Aerospace Linked To Fake Dating Sites AffairDating, BuddyGays". International Business Times. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  75. ^ Nazarii Chornyi (3 June 2021). "'Ukrainian Elon Mask' — what we know so far about Maxym Polyakov". Bukvy (bykvu.com). Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  76. ^ "Online dating firm Cupid plc sees share value plunge". BBC. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  77. ^ Svitlana Tuchynska (15 March 2013). "Deceptive Love: Agency hires women to encourage men to pay". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  78. ^ "Original Firefly Shareholders Sue Firefly's Markusic, Polyakov Alleging Fraud – Parabolic Arc". Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  79. ^ Vance, Ashlee (29 December 2021). "U.S. Seeks to Oust Ukrainian Owner of Texas Rocket Startup Firefly".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  80. ^ "Як у Дніпрі розробляють деталі космічних ракет – розмова з директором Firefly Aerospace Україна". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  81. ^ Berger, Eric (5 February 2021). "Rocket Report: SpaceX sets new reuse record, Astra valued at $2.1 billion". Ars Technica. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  82. ^ "Setting Cosmic Ambitions for Ukraine". OZY. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  83. ^ "Setting Cosmic Ambitions for Ukraine". OZY. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Max_Polyakov&oldid=1078835711"