Victor Elliesen is Co-Founder of Stellar Alpina AG, a Zurich-based SpaceTech startup pioneering compact rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs) for next-generation in-space mobility. He leads funding, ecosystem relationships, and the business architecture driving Stellar Alpina's commercial strategy.

Victor began his career with a commercial apprenticeship and several years in business and digital transformation, before relocating from rural Obwalden to Zurich to study at ZHAW School of Management and Law and discovering the local space ecosystem. His entry into the space sector came through ARIS, the Academic Spaceflight Initiative Switzerland, where he rose to Vice President and helped steer the organisation through significant growth.

Victor represented ARIS at the World Expo in Osaka and in the Swiss Parliament, placing Swiss student space projects on both the global and national stage. He is a vocal advocate for European leadership in advanced propulsion, championing the question: who says the first commercial RDRE cannot come from Europe?

At Stellar Alpina, Victor oversees the commercial and strategic pillars of the company, translating a deep-tech roadmap into investor relationships and market positioning. The company secured CHF 3.5 million in pre-seed funding led by Founderful, with participation from LP&E and strategic DeepTech investors.

Just 82 days after incorporation, Stellar Alpina completed Europe's first known commercial RDRE hotfire campaign, with eight detonative hotfires demonstrating up to five stable detonation waves. The company targets the fast-growing cislunar infrastructure market, projected to reach USD 14.52 billion by 2033.