David Avino

CEO AND FOUNDER

Our Team | David Avino

About David Avino

With a degree in Computer Science and Strategic Sciences, Avino attended the Military Academy of Modena and later joined the Special Forces, serving until 1998.

From 2002 to 2008, he worked for the European Space Agency (ESA). As a member of numerous NASA and ESA committees in the fields of space operations, training, and nutrition, he was involved in various Shuttle, Soyuz, and long-duration ESA missions. During these years, he collaborated on space missions developed by both NASA and in partnership with Roscosmos, with activities across Europe.

In 2008, he founded Argotec, where he worked on space innovations that led to receiving the NASA award for the best experiment on the ISS in 2016. Argotec has also been involved in several historic missions, such as DART and Artemis 1, participating with two satellites, namely LICIACube and ArgoMoon. In 2022, it became the only company in the world to have two operational satellites simultaneously in Deep Space. In 2023, LICIACube won the prestigious AIAA Mission of the Year award.

In 2023, Avino announced Argotec’s latest project: SpacePark, a smart factory aiming to become an international innovation center in the Space Economy. At the same time, the company is expanding its business development in the U.S. with a $50 million investment and a new production facility in Maryland. Avino serves on several boards of directors. In 2018, the company he founded was mentioned by Forbes as one of the five most innovative space companies in the country. In 2023, Avino was named Turin’s Person of the Year by Corriere della Sera. He has made numerous appearances and keynotes at national and international events and media as a voice for entrepreneurship and the space industry.