Alastair Westgarth, former CEO of Project Loon (Google X), appointed Chief Operating Officer of Involve Space

A member of the Board of Directors since 2024, Westgarth has been at the helm of Involve Space operations since 1st October.

The Italian aerospace company’s C-suite is further strengthened following the appointments of Denis Young (CTO) and Daniele Del Cavallo (CCO).

Como, 27th October 2026 – Involve Space, a Como-based aerospace company and a leading Italian provider of stratospheric platforms for Earth observation and security applications, today announced the appointment of Alastair Westgarth as Chief Operating Officer. Westgarth, who already serves on the company’s Board of Directors, assumed his executive role leading operations on 1st October.

An electrical engineering graduate of Queen’s University in Canada, Westgarth previously served as CEO of Loon, which began as Project Loon at Google X. Through nearly 2,000 launches, Loon used a network of stratospheric balloons to bring high speed internet access to unconnected or under connected areas and provide emergency connectivity in disaster-affected regions. Loon provided connectivity in Peru after a 1500-year flood event knocked out a significant portion of the communication infrastructure and following Hurricane Maria in 2017, Loon provided connectivity to hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico. In 2020, Loon and its partners launched the world’s first commercial internet-via-balloon service in Kenya.

Westgarth subsequently served as CEO of Starship Technologies, which develops autonomous delivery robots. His career includes senior leadership roles at Quintel Solutions, Nortel, Bell Mobility and Navini. Most recently, he served as COO of Xeal, a leader in electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

At Involve Space, Westgarth will work alongside CEO Jonathan Polotto to oversee operations across the fast-growing business. He will support the rapid expansion of production, operational capacity and the team as the company scales its missions and services across Europe and the United States.

“At Loon, I saw firsthand the potential of the stratosphere and how it can change the way we observe and connect the planet. Technology alone is not enough. It takes reliable operations, sustainable costs and services that customers can readily adopt. That is exactly what Involve Space is developing. My role will be to help scale the company’s operational capacity to keep pace with market demand,”

said Westgarth.

“Few people know the stratosphere as well as Alastair. For the past two years, he has brought three decades of experience in the technology sector to our Board of Directors. Having him lead our operations means putting his strategic vision and guidance into practice. His appointment will help us continue to grow with greater structure, speed and operational discipline”

said Jonathan Polotto, CEO and Chairman of Involve Space.

Westgarth’s relationship with Involve Space began in 2024. When announcing the company’s new Board of Directors, Polotto identified him as a key figure in its expansion into the United States, where Involve Space now has an office at the Houston Spaceport in Texas. The company also draws on Loon’s experience through Advisory Board members Zimran Lucero and Pamela Bergmann, both former program managers at Loon.

Westgarth’s appointment further strengthens Involve Space’s executive team. Denis Young, Chief Technology Officer, and Daniele Del Cavallo, Chief Commercial Officer, joined in June, alongside co-founders Jonathan Polotto, CEO and Chairman of the Board, and Claudio Piazzai, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive President.

The appointment comes during a period of rapid expansion. In the first half of 2026, Involve Space’s headcount grew by 89%, with the company aiming to reach approximately 60 employees by early 2027. This year, the company secured a €12.5 million funding package through the European Commission’s EIC Accelerator, part of the Horizon Europe programme. Involve Space has also recently launched projects with Enel and joined ESA’s InCubed programme to develop Europe’s first stratospheric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system.

The company is currently raising a Series A funding round.

About Involve Space

Involve Space is an Italian aerospace company operating in stratospheric balloon technology, with the mission of developing innovative platforms for Earth Observation, defence, testing and research. Founded in Como in 2021, the company has carried out numerous commercial missions and introduced proprietary solutions such as Stratostats® and Stratorelay®, enabling Earth Observation applications aligned with satellite standards and, in some respects, capable of delivering a superior level of accuracy and timeliness. Backed by international investors and European development programmes, Involve Space combines economic growth and social responsibility, pursuing a model of accessible, low-environmental-impact innovation with global expansion ambitions. Involve Space is a certified B Corporation.

For media inquiries and interview requests:
Maria Paola Vercesi
Head of Communication
paola.v@involvespace.eu