Lecturer · Finance, Strategy & Deep Tech
Eric Achtmann
CFO & Chief Strategy Officer, Isar Aerospace · Founder Global Capital X
„Onwards and upwards.“
EA
„Onwards and upwards.“
Eric is a business builder and investor with over 25 years of international experience in executive roles, supervisory and advisory boards, venture capital/private equity and product development. He has built and rapidly scaled innovative products and companies in corporate, turnaround, growth and early-stage environments – bringing multiple award-winning products to market along the way.
Today, as CFO & Chief Strategy Officer of Isar Aerospace he leads the finances and strategy behind continental Europe's first private commercial orbital launch. Eric combines vision with executive leadership, finance, communication and deep technical expertise – from MIT engineer through McKinsey and a €200m venture fund to the rocket factory. It is precisely this breadth that he brings to our School as a lecturer.
Brings first-hand financing, scaling and deep-tech practice into the classroom.
Finance and strategy of Europe's leading launch start-up – in 2025 it achieved the first private commercial orbital launch from continental Europe (Andøya, Norway). „Launch, Learn, Repeat.“
Independent advisory for corporate finance, investment, M&A, restructuring, strategy, innovation and product development.
Evaluation and advice on European innovation funding.
Executive advisory with a focus on manufacturing and product development.
AI-powered video and data compression; over 700 international patents, standards at MPEG, ISO and SMPTE.
Architect of the world's first fully modular, IoT-enabled „5-Sense“ coffee system: ~120 people, 7 countries, from napkin sketch to series production in ~12 months – growing the division more than twentyfold in 5 years. Two London Business School case studies; a building block of Costa's later $5.3bn sale to Coca-Cola.
Data analytics for the siting and optimisation of wind-energy installations based on multi-layer GIS.
Pan-European €200m+ early-stage fund for technology and life sciences: 40 portfolio companies, over 80 financing rounds, numerous board mandates.
Firm Expert for product development as well as Aerospace & Defense.
Transferring lean manufacturing to the aerospace industry – a consortium of 20 companies and government agencies.
Fire- and oil-spill response products following the oil fires of the First Gulf War; co-led the firefighting operations at the 1993 UN world disaster-relief exercise involving 41 nations.
Quality assurance and engine technology (3 Series, M3, Z1); CAD modelling for fighter aircraft and hypersonic transport.
About the School, in-house programmes or a partnership.