M&A Activity in European Markets

Alexis Sáinz is the global co-leader of the Hogan Lovells Space and Satellite practice and a member of the Infrastructure, Energy, Resources & Projects group. She regularly represents export credit and multilateral development agencies, satellite operators, aerospace manufacturers, launch services providers, communications companies, financial institutions, project sponsors, private equity firms, hedge funds, and other industry participants on structured, project and vendor financings, in negotiating commercial and corporate transactions, and with commercially strategic regulatory matters. She also provides industry advice in connection with debt and equity offerings, joint ventures, mergers & acquisitions, and financial restructurings.

Alexis works with investors and lenders to understand the underlying issues impacting space projects and companies, at the intersection of commercial, regulatory and financing aspects of a transaction. She works with project parties to focus on key deal points and to identify appropriate industry-based risk mitigants and efficient allocation of risk in order to build consensus and drive closure. She works with companies to build a project and financing strategy from the ground up, anticipating financing issues early in the development of a new project or the growth of a company.

Alexis co-chairs the American Bar Association’s Committee on Space Law. She co-authored the chapter on “Commercial Satellite Programs” in the Routledge Handbook of Space Law. Prior to beginning her legal career in 2007, Alexis spent over 10 years working in internet-based industries, including e-commerce and media. She previously served as a consultant for the World Bank, National Geographic, and domestic non-profit organizations in connection with internet-based technology, and she was an early member of KPMG Peat Marwick’s financial service’s e-commerce consulting practice, where she focused on emerging technologies.

François Chopard is the Founder & CEO of Starburst. A distinguished aerospace engineer, strategy advisor, founder, and venture capitalist, he has played a pivotal role in shaping today’s global Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry and bringing aerospace to the forefront of conversation. With over 20 years of experience in strategy consulting, entrepreneurship, and business development, Chopard specializes in Aviation, Space, and Defense, featuring high stakes technologies.

In 2012, Chopard founded Starburst, an aerospace management consultancy and the first global accelerator designed to guide aerospace startups from ideation to growth. Starburst specializes in three core areas with a focus on helping A&D stakeholders innovate, navigate and invest in the dynamic ecosystem: strategy and innovation consulting for corporate and government industry majors, tailored maturity-based startup acceleration programs, and investment support. In 2022, Chopard launched Starburst Ventures, an independent US-based venture capital fund exclusively dedicated to investing across Aviation, Space, and Defense.

As a widely respected industry veteran, Chopard has been asked to lend his aerospace expertise on a range of issues such as urban mobility, the future of transportation, and investing in aerospace. He is a renowned speaker, having been featured at major conferences like the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he offers insights into the future of aerospace innovation. Chopard’s current endeavors surround future trends, product strategy, and open innovation.

Prior to establishing Starburst, Chopard served as a Partner at Oliver Wyman France. He also founded and was the CEO of Arendi Consulting. He began his career as an Airbus Engineer before spending two years in the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Chopard holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from CentraleSupélec in Paris, France.

A results-oriented commercialization and business/finance strategy professional with a strong footprint in the DeepTech and Space sectors. As a Commercialisation Officer at ESA, I advise European governments on policy and drive investment across the continent’s DeepTech (Space and Non-Space) ecosystem. My experience in European ecosystem directly contributed to securing over multi- million euro in funding and key contracts.

My core expertise lies in business strategy development, fundraising, DeepTech commercialization, policy development, and providing impactful mentorship to early-stage companies. I’ve mentored 20+ DeepTech startups, including those in Amazon AWS Incubators (USA) and SpaceQuest Ventures SA (Switzerland), and bring a strong understanding of investment due diligence. My international experience and multilingual skills enhance my ability to connect and guide global startups. Participation in ESA-BIC Denmark and experience at ESRIN Phi-Lab provide a solid foundation in Earth Observation business cases. I am passionate about fostering innovation and supporting the growth of impactful DeepTech ventures.

Mr. Schmidt is a Managing Director at KippsDeSanto & Co. and co-heads the Aerospace / Defense Group.

Prior to joining KippsDeSanto & Co., Mr. Schmidt was a Senior Vice President in Houlihan Lokey’s Washington, DC office and a member of its Aerospace·Defense·Government Services industry investment banking group, where he focused on sellside and buyside M&A advisory engagements, sourcing growth capital, and conducting strategic alternatives assessments. Prior to joining Houlihan Lokey’s ADG practice, Mr. Schmidt was a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, serving in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States in various combat arms assignments. He also served in the Pentagon on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, working on classified intelligence assessments and transformation efforts, and he served on the U.S. Army Staff, working on equipment modernization and weapons testing.

Mr. Schmidt earned a B.S. in engineering (aeronautical) from the United States Military Academy at West Point, an M.S. in operations research from the Naval Post Graduate School, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative (Series 7, 63).