Fundraising Fox

Max Benassi

Unicorn founder

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer at Apex Space · Founder at Apex Technology

Greater Los Angeles, California, United States

FoundedApex Space$2.3BApex Technology

About

Max Benassi is Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Apex, a spacecraft manufacturing company. He previously worked at SpaceX, where he contributed to scaling the Raptor and Merlin engines and Falcon 9, and at Astra, where he worked on developing Rocket 4 and scaling spacecraft and spacecraft components.

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer at Apex Space

Intro paths

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In turn, Max can intro founders to Apex Space's investors below.

Apex Space's investors · 19

75 & SunnyLos Angeles · $100K – $5M checksAndreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2023Balerion Space VenturesDallasCantos VenturesSan Francisco · $400K – $1.5M checksCRV (Charles River Ventures)Bay Area · $250K – $5M checksDepartment of Defensesince 2023Embedded VenturesLos AngelesGlynn Capital ManagementMenlo ParkJ2 VenturesBostonKohala VenturesSan FranciscoOutsidersNorwalk · $500K – $8M checksPoint72 VenturesNew York · $1M – $75M checksRavelin CapitalSausalitoShield CapitalSan FranciscoSolari CapitalNew YorkToyota VenturesLos AltosUpfront VenturesLos Angeles · $1M – $10M checksVillage GlobalCovina · $100K – $500K checksXYZ Venture CapitalSan Francisco · $10K – $5M checks

Co-founders at Apex Space

ICIan Cinnamon
Ian CinnamonCo-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Founder at Apex Technology

Intro paths

→

In turn, Max can intro founders to Apex Technology's investors below.

Apex Technology's investors · 3

Andreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2025Glade Brook Capital PartnersGreenwich · since 2026XYZ Venture CapitalSan Francisco · $10K – $5M checks · since 2025

Co-founders at Apex Technology

ICIan Cinnamon
Ian CinnamonExecutive Officer, Director

Experience

  1. Apex Spacecraft ManufacturingChief Technology Officer and Co-Foundercurrent2022 — present
  2. AstraEngineering Director2022San Francisco Bay Area
  3. AstraEngineering Manager2021 — 2022San Francisco Bay Area
  4. SpaceXSenior Propulsion Engineer, Raptor Turbomachinery and Dynamic Balancing2019 — 2021Hawthorne, California
  5. SpaceXPropulsion Machining and Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineer II2017 — 2019
  6. SpaceXStructures Manufacturing Engineer2016 — 2017
  7. SpaceXMechanisms Manufacturing Engineer2015 — 2016Greater Los Angeles Area
  8. SOITECSolar Manufacturing Engineering2014Greater San Diego Area
  9. Qualcomm LifGlobal Strategy & Market Development2012 — 2013Greater San Diego Area
  10. Southern Methodist UniversityResearch Assistant - Acoustic Energy Harvesting2012 — 2013Dallas, Tx
  11. Life TechnologiesMechanical Engineering Intern2011Greater San Diego Area
  12. Ricochet NetworksSales Associate2002 — 2004Greater San Diego Area

Skills & more

PowerPoint29Data Analysis23Matlab14Microsoft Excel13Social Networking12Microsoft Office18Solidworks6Access5Team Leadership9Statistics4Soldering4Market Research6
+12 moreCritical ThinkingTeamworkSocial MediaPeople-orientedMathematicsTeam BuildingCreative Problem SolvingTask-orientedHeat TransferFluid DynamicsPlastic ExtrusionFluid Mechanics

From Max's professional profile.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Max Benassi?
Max Benassi is Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Apex, a spacecraft manufacturing company. He previously worked at SpaceX, where he contributed to scaling the Raptor and Merlin engines and Falcon 9, and at Astra, where he worked on developing Rocket 4 and scaling spacecraft and spacecraft components.
Where does Max Benassi work?
Max Benassi is Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer of Apex Space and Co-founder at Apex Technology.
What companies did Max Benassi found?
Max Benassi founded Apex Space, Apex Technology.
Where did Max Benassi go to school?
Max Benassi studied at University of Southern California (Master of Business Administration - MBA); Southern Methodist University (Master of Science (M.S.), Mechanical Engineering - Thermal Fluid Systems); Southern Methodist University (Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Mechanical Engineering).

Same school

Also attended University of Southern California679

Shaun MaguirePartner at Sequoia CapitalMarc BenioffCo-founder, Chair & CEO of SalesforceGabriel PereyraCo-founder & President of HarveyNatalie VaisInvestor at Spark CapitalErica BresciaManaging Director at Redpoint VenturesDylan PearcePartner at Greycroft

+ 673 more

Also attended Southern Methodist University161

Minh DoAnalyst at Golden Gate VenturesJim DoehrmanAdvisor at Sierra VenturesTroy A. LeMaile-StovallCEO at Maryland TEDCOThomas MallakSenior Financial Analyst at AlleyCorpAlex GrasPrincipal at Mercury FundJovelyn CastellanosDirector of Strategic Initiaves and Public Affairs at Health Wildcatters

+ 155 more

Also attended Cathedral Catholic High School8

Kateri AllenRecruiter at Teamworthy VenturesEllie TvedtSenior Associate at Oxeon PartnersPatrick RepkoVice President at TrueBridge Capital PartnersYojiro YamamotoInvestor at Coreline VenturesEric GonsenheimPartner at Crosslink CapitalKellen HainesVice President at K1 Investment Management

+ 2 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Astra12

Maureen HavertyInvestment Principal at Seraphim SpaceLinda LiVenture Partner at Vickers Venture PartnersAndy GreenNon Executive Director at Bloc VenturesScott StanfordCo-Founder and Partner at ACME CapitalAlex FayettePartner at ACME CapitalCelestine SchnuggFounder at Boom Capital Ventures

+ 6 more

Also worked at SpaceX170

Roelof BothaAdvisor & former Steward at Sequoia Capital; SpaceX board memberSteve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesAsanka JayasuriyaPortfolio Support at 8VCJustin RoseInvestment Team at 8VCGarry HillInvestment at Makers FundHelen LiangFounder & General Partner at FoundersX Ventures

+ 164 more

Also worked at SOITEC6

Holger SchragmannPartner at DemeterChristophe DesrumauxPartner at DemeterDamien BretegnierAssociate Partner at Supernova InvestChristophe GégoutManaging Partner at Yotta Capital PartnersHunter KornInvestor at Insight PartnersFabio Mondini de FocatiisFounding Partner, Growth Capital at Growth Capital

Also worked at Qualcomm Lif111

Ben CoughlanInvestor at Moonfire VenturesHouman HaghighiPartner, Business & Corporate Development at Menlo VenturesBoaz PeerManaging Director, Israel & Europe at Qualcomm VenturesAlbert WangSenior Director at Qualcomm VenturesMarienne CaroMarketing Lead at Qualcomm VenturesLeilani ConroyExecutive Assistant at Qualcomm Ventures

+ 105 more