Philip Johnston

Philip Johnston is the co-founder and CEO of Starcloud, a space technology company developing orbital data centers. Under his leadership, the firm rebranded from Lumen Orbit, participated in the Y Combinator Summer 2024 cohort, raised a $21 million seed round backed by NFX and In-Q-Tel, and reached a $1.1 billion valuation by March 2026. Previously, Johnston co-founded Opontia, a digital brand aggregator that secured a $42 million Series A in 2021 before being acquired by Perfection in 2023. His earlier career includes working in venture capital in South Africa, serving as an Associate at McKinsey & Company to advise national space agencies, and operating as a software engineer in high-frequency algorithmic trading. Educated at Harvard University and the Wharton School, the CFA Charterholder's current focus centers on scaling orbital infrastructure and advancing commercial space technology.