#United States #Denver #Linde #Stoke Space #Matt White

Matt White Joins Stoke Space's Board of Directors

Industrious Ventures has recently made an important announcement regarding its collaboration with Stoke Space, a company focused on enhancing launch reusability in the aerospace sector. The venture firm has appointed Matt White, who currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Linde, to join the Board of Directors at Stoke Space. This strategic move is expected to bring invaluable insight and expertise as Stoke Space continues its journey towards achieving transformative engineering goals.

Matt White succeeds Steve Angel, Chairman of Linde, who has played a crucial role as a board member for Stoke Space since its Series B funding round in October 2023. With over 20 years of leadership experience in global industrial and engineering sectors, White's depth of knowledge in managing large-scale operations and intricate supply chains aligns perfectly with the needs of Stoke Space. His track record includes spearheading significant capital initiatives and overseeing the financial frameworks necessary for complex engineering systems.

White holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Penn State University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Delaware. In addition to his academic qualifications, he is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst, demonstrating his strong financial background. Under White's leadership, Linde has become the foremost industrial gases and engineering company globally, playing a pivotal role in supporting the U.S. space industry for over six decades. Linde’s experience ranges from supplying liquid oxygen for the Apollo program to facilitating contemporary commercial launch providers.

In 2025, Linde announced a substantial expansion of its facilities in both Mims, Florida, and Brownsville, Texas, aimed at enhancing the production capacity of key gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. This expansion reaffirms Linde’s commitment as a vital contributor to the growing space economy and its essential partnership with emerging space ventures.

According to Mason Angel, a founding partner at Industrious Ventures, White's appointment builds upon the foundation laid by Steve Angel. His expertise as CFO for a global corporation overseeing vast industrial operations provides Stoke Space with significant strategic advantages. White commented on the transformative challenge that Stoke Space embodies, emphasizing how their quest for full reusability in launching craft represents a groundbreaking endeavor that can redefine progress in aerospace engineering.

Andy Lapsa, Co-Founder and CEO of Stoke Space, expressed gratitude for the guidance provided by Steve Angel and voiced excitement over White's addition to the board. His unique perspective at the crossroads of industrial operations and financial strategies will be critical as Stoke Space gears up for its inaugural orbital launch and navigates the complexities of both development and production environments.

Industrious Ventures, known for empowering founders who are innovating across some of the world's most essential industries, is keen on harnessing its resources to support Stoke Space during this significant transition. With a focus on areas such as aerospace, national security, and manufacturing, the firm aims to back technical pioneers from early development to production scale.

This strategic board appointment not only strengthens Stoke Space's governance but also aligns it with one of the leading figures in industrial management, ensuring that the company is well poised for its ambitious aspirations in the aerospace sector.