Mikhail Kokorich

Mikhail Kokorich (Russian: Михаил Кокорич) is a physicist & entrepreneur. He is best known as a founder and CEO of Destinus, developing a high-speed aircraft, a hybrid between an airplane and a rocket. Previously, Mikhail Kokorich has founded and developed several companies in the space industry, including Momentus, which was listed on the NASDAQ in the summer of 2021. Currently he serve as a CEO of Destinus, the Swiss company, which he founded.

Mikhail Kokorich
Born (1976-10-11) 11 October 1976
Aginskoye, Zabaykalsky Krai, Soviet Union
NationalityRussian
Alma materNovosibirsk State University
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounder at Momentus (MNTS), developer of Vigoride, CEO at Destinus
Children2

Career

He founded his first company, Dauria, in 1996. This company specialized in industrial water treatment. Later, he started founding companies that were focused on space and technology, such as Dauria Aerospace, Astro Digital, Momentus Space and Destinus.[1][2]

In 2012, Kokoric moved to the United States, founded a small aerospace technology company in Mountain View, California, and named it Dauria. At the same time he created a company with the same name in Russia. Dauria Aerospace, a Russian company, was involved in private space development, built several small spacecraft (satellites), and also sold components for satellites. Dauria Aerospace cooperated with Roscosmos under a state order to produce two CubeSat satellites and a universal means of their placement and separation (launch containers)[2]. It was one of the first Russian private organizations to be able to launch private satellites into Earth orbit.

In 2013, Kokorich assumed the position of advisor to the governor of Zabaykalsky Krai for innovation policy.

In 2014, Dauria Aerospace's collaboration with Roscosmos was terminated, and in 2015, Kokorich sold his stake in the company.[3][4]

In 2017, Kokorich, together with Lev Hasis, founded Momentus Space, a space logistics and transportation company in the United States.[5][6][7]

In early 2021 Momentus Space tried to go public on the NASDAQ exchange,[8] but the IPO of Momentus Space was delayed due to a conflict with U.S. regulators: Mikhail Kokorich and Lev Hasis, being citizens of Russia, which is a "geopolitical rival", and under the U.S. national security law they are prohibited access to the technology used by Momentus, despite the fact that Kokorich is the developer of most of them.[9][10] The new CEO of Momentus Space was succeeded by John Rood, former U.S. defense official.[11] By August 2021, Kokorich had sold his stake in Momentus Space.[12][13]

At the end of 2021, Kokorich owns Destinus, a Swiss company developing a high-speed aircraft, a hybrid between an airplane and a rocket, capable of moving cargo between continents in less than two hours.

Personal life

Married. Has two children.

References
  1. "Михайло Кокорич виростив космічного єдинорога, але американські урядовці побачили в ньому загрозу. Чому так складно будувати бізнес в космосі — Forbes.ua". forbes.ua (in Ukrainian). 21 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  2. Varadarajan, Tunku (7 August 2020). "Opinion | The New 'Gold Rush in Space'". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. "Предприниматель Михаил Кокорич: моя самая большая ошибка в жизни — создать "Даурию" в России" (in Russian). Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  4. ""Стали шептать, что шпион": почему основатель первой в России частной космической компании уехал в США и как строит там водяные ракеты". The Bell (in Russian). 19 October 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  5. Все сначала в 45. Кокорич про SpaceX, миллиард в космосе и проблемы с военными США, retrieved 29 December 2021
  6. Липанова, Лиана (16 August 2021). ""Хотел сделать хищника, а не травоядного": Михаил Кокорич об истории Momentus Space, проблемах в США и новом бизнесе — Будущее на vc.ru". vc.ru. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  7. Michaels, Dave (25 July 2021). "A Space Company's Wall Street Launch Misfires". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  8. "Space startup Momentus hires former U.S. defense official as CEO". Reuters. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  9. Култаева, Дарья. "Глава Momentus Михаил Кокорич не имеет права работать с технологиями своей компании в США" (in Russian). Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  10. "Как Momentus Space оказалась на бирже NASDAQ и стоит ли покупать ее акции". Forbes.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  11. "Space startup Momentus hires former U.S. defense official as CEO". Reuters. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  12. "Space Company CEO Mikhail Kokorich Battles SEC to Clear His Name - SWFI". www.swfinstitute.org. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  13. "Михайло Кокорич виростив космічного єдинорога, але американські урядовці побачили в ньому загрозу. Чому так складно будувати бізнес в космосі — Forbes.ua". forbes.ua (in Ukrainian). 21 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.


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