Our Mission

Insights from above, impact on the ground

A picture of Involve's whole team
Left: Paolo Nespoli, former ESA astronaut. Right: Jonathan Polotto, Involve's CEO, talking on stage at LarioSpace 2024

When I met astronaut Paolo Nespoli, he said: “to understand Earth, we must look from above.” Our stratospheric pseudo-satellites do just that, delivering real-time, high-resolution data to monitor human-scale movements and enable timely, sustainable actions.

Jonathan Polotto
CEO and Chairman

Our journey until now

2016
First experimental launch

At 16, Jonathan Polotto sees a stratospheric balloon experiment in the US and decides to replicate it. With just €1000 and a group of friends, he builds a polystyrene probe, equips it with an amateur camera and GPS receiver, and launches it. The probe reaches 36.000 m altitude, is recovered, and Jonathan is moved to tears watching the footage from above.

2018
The Space Pizza and the 47.000 m record

After a few years, Jonathan aims even higher and wants publicity. He secures a pizzeria sponsor, upgrades the probe’s electronics, and becomes the first person ever to send a pizza into the stratosphere reaching 47.000 m altitude. Media coverage is overwhelming: newspapers and TV pick up the story, and companies start contacting him to “send their products to space".

2019
Founding Involve Productions

Riding the wave of unconventional launches, Jonathan establishes Involve Productions, an unconventional marketing agency. Between 2019 and 2020, he runs multiple brand-driven campaigns using stratospheric balloons for viral marketing activities. The revenue from these activities funds his next vision: an aerospace startup.

2021
Creation of Involve Space and first team

Involve Space is officially launched as an innovative startup. Jonathan sold the marketing agency project to focus on aerospace now. The first hire is Alessandro Piazza, Jonathan’s high‑school classmate and still software developer today; alongside him joins an industrial designer. Throughout 2021, the trio focuses on R&D: designing in‑house balloons, building tech probes, and refining launch and recovery processes.

2022
First scientific missions and institutional network

In the second half of the year, the first science‑driven missions take off: environmental data analysis, aerial photography, in‑flight testing of satellite components. Engagements with ESA and ASI, plus mentorship from industry experts, accelerate technological maturity. That same year, Jonathan runs an humanitarian-educational lab in a Kenyan slum where children launch their own probe into the stratosphere. Thanks to the advertising on that project, Claudio Piazzai (now COO and Board member) wrote to Jonathan on Instagram: "*Hey, nice to meet you! It seems like you do crazy things and we both want to do something big in our life*".

2023
Focus on Earth observation and international growth

With Claudio on board and market research in hand, a strategic use case emerges: Earth observation via stratosphere. Throughout 2023 Involve Space dedicates efforts to optimizing balloons for long‑duration flights, developing advanced onboard control software, lowering operating costs versus traditional satellites.

We are engineers, business people, marketers, and problem-solvers with expertise in aerospace, AI, and technology. Our team leverages diverse experience to develop innovative, market-driven solutions for enhanced Earth Observation.

Explore career opportunities

Reach out

Avete trovato uno dei nostri palloni o una sonda?

Perfavore, chiama

+39 031 668 0373 / Ext 1

Have you found one of our balloons or a probe?

Please call

+39 031 668 0373 / Ext 1

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