Martijn Blanken – NSG CEO. Photo: NSG

Neo Space Group (NSG) has appointed Martijn Blanken as its new CEO. NSG aims to become a new player in satellite communications in the Middle East. The company announced the appointment, July 8.

NSG is a wholly owned company of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the nation’s sovereign wealth fund. NSG will focus on pursuing strategic and commercially feasible space sector opportunities. It will also invest in the most promising new space technology startups and entrepreneurs both in Saudi Arabia and globally. NSG is fully aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and plans to create a global commercial space communications leader.

Blanken joins NSG from EXA Infrastructure, the leading dedicated digital infrastructure platform connecting Europe and North America, where he was their CEO. Before joining EXA, he served as a senior advisor to Squared Capital, a global infrastructure investment firm.

“The space industry is rapidly transforming and is wide open for disruption, so the launch of NSG is very well-timed. We believe that by putting the customer’s need at the center of everything we do, leveraging existing assets in the industry in combination with investments in new capabilities, we will be able to become an effective disrupter and challenger brand in the global space economy and a national champion for Saudi’s space ambitions,” Blanken said in a statement.