Former OpenAI exec Kevin Weil is now on the board of Stoke Space

Kevin Weil, an esteemed figure in the tech industry with experience at companies such as Twitter, Meta, Planet Labs, and OpenAI, has taken a significant role on the board of directors for Stoke Space. This Seattle-based startup is making strides in developing reusable rockets to rival SpaceX. Stoke's CEO, Andy Lapsa, shared insights with TechCrunch about his initial meeting with Weil, who became an early investor alongside his wife, Elizabeth, through their fund, Scribble Ventures. Lapsa, who co-founded Stoke in 2020, expressed his admiration for Weil's extensive knowledge of fundraising and the Silicon Valley ecosystem, which was invaluable as he sought to launch the company. Under Lapsa's leadership, Stoke successfully raised $1.34 billion, including an impressive $510 million in a Series D funding round set for 2025, all aimed at developing a rocket capable of rapid reuse, with test flights anticipated within the year. With the company's growth trajectory, Weil's entry onto the board comes at a pivotal moment. While Stoke did not facilitate an interview with Weil, his previous work at OpenAI has sparked curiosity about the potential connections between the AI landscape and the aerospace industry. Notably, there were rumors last year about OpenAI's Sam Altman considering an investment in Stoke, leading to speculation regarding Weil's influence in bridging these two realms. Stoke is in the process of creating the Nova rocket, designed to be fully reusable—an achievement yet to be realized in the space sector, with SpaceX's Starship being the closest contender. The challenge of reusing rockets, especially withstanding the intense heat during atmospheric reentry, has deterred many investors, even those with substantial resources like Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, where Lapsa previously worked. Lapsa's foresight is now being validated, especially following SpaceX's successful stock market debut, which has highlighted a market need for reliable and cost-effective launch vehicles. "The world is realizing that launch is still not solved," Lapsa noted, emphasizing the normalization of rapid reuse in aerospace discussions. Furthermore, the vision of establishing distributed data centers in space to harness solar energy and circumvent Earth's political challenges is intriguing investors, although the high cost of launching tech infrastructure remains a barrier. Weil's experience in connecting Silicon Valley with military operations will also be crucial for Stoke as they seek government contracts, enhancing their prospects in the competitive space industry. His prior role as president of Planet Labs, a satellite company that went public in 2021, further underscores his capabilities in this sector. As Stoke Space moves closer to launching its operational vehicle, the company remains focused on execution. "We’ve got a good chunk of the risk behind us; we’ve got more to go," Lapsa remarked. "We’ll work as hard as we can and we’ll go when it’s ready."