Former SpaceX govt Tom Ocinero is teaming up with former SpaceX alumnus-turned-venture capitalist Achal Upadhyaya and Sequoia finance co-leader Spencer Hemphill to create a brand new enterprise referred to as Interlagos Capital, TechCrunch has discovered.
There’s little public details about Interlagos, and the trio didn’t reply to TechCrunch’s request for remark. The corporate was formally integrated in Delaware on March seventh and registered as an out-of-state firm in California only a few days in the past on April eleventh. The paperwork determine Ochinero, Upadhyaya and Hemphill. The principle tackle is in El Segundo, California.
The Interlagos trademark was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Workplace on April 4. This utility comprises an tackle an identical to the one listed on the corporate registration. The submitting states that the corporate will interact in “enterprise capital companies; enterprise financing companies, particularly the supply of financing to growing and start-up firms.”
Ochinero left SpaceX in February after practically 10 years on the firm, the place he finally grew to become senior vp of business enterprise. On this function, he helped SpaceX turn into the undisputed international chief in business launches. Folks aware of the state of affairs informed CNBC on the time that Ochinero was resigning “to take care of a household medical matter.”
At Interlagos, he groups up with fellow SpaceX alumnus Upadhyaya, who spent a decade in engineering roles at SpaceX earlier than becoming a member of funding agency Cantos as a enterprise accomplice in 2022. He left someday this 12 months, in line with his LinkedIn. At Cantos, Upadhyaya’s bets included satellite tv for pc bus maker Apex Area and site visitors management techniques developer Salient Movement. Each startups had been led by former SpaceX founders.
Spencer Hemphill, CFO, joins the crew. He’s initially from Sequoyah, the place he additionally spent 10 years. He left someday this 12 months, leaving the agency as assistant controller.
Ochinero is simply the most recent SpaceX govt to maneuver from the house large to enterprise capital. Folks leaving SpaceX to begin or put money into different firms is so fashionable that there’s web site devoted to connecting the 2 teams. Different notable traders within the SpaceX-VC pipeline embody Scott Nolan of Founders Fund, who was an early SpaceX worker, and Bulent Altan of Alpine Area Ventures.