Orbital Advantage

​Co-hosted by Chenel Capital

​
Space has been part of global infrastructure for decades, yet for private capital — particularly venture and growth investors — it remains a relatively new and complex frontier. As commercial activity expands and governments increasingly partner with private companies, space is evolving into a capital-intensive industry with long time horizons and risk profiles that don’t neatly fit modern venture models.

​
Orbital Advantage brings together investor and operator perspectives to examine how capital is engaging with the space economy today — and where friction remains. The conversation will explore how investors separate opportunity from hype, why space creates a structural gap in today’s venture environment, and what it takes to finance businesses operating across government, commercial, and institutional markets.
Designed for investors, founders, and decision-makers, this session offers a grounded look at how money actually moves in space — and what must change for the sector to scale sustainably.

Speakers
Richard Chenel
Principal, Chenel Capital Partners
Richard Chenel is the Founder and Principal of Chenel Capital Partners, a New York–based alternative investment firm investing across early, venture, and growth-stage technology companies. He is the architect and lead investor behind the firm’s Spacetech Capital Fund, which is dedicated to backing the next generation of space infrastructure, platforms, and enabling technologies shaping the future of the space economy.

​
Tejpaul Bhatia
 Former CEO, Axiom Space | Founder, Planz Capital
 Tejpaul Bhatia previously served as CEO of Axiom Space, where he drove over $1B in revenue across commercial missions and U.S. and foreign government contracts. He has held leadership roles at Google, Citi Ventures, and ESPN, and now focuses on building financial and infrastructure bridges across the space economy.