Jordan Noone

Jordan Noone
Born (1992-11-30) November 30, 1992
Pasadena, CA
EducationUniversity of Southern California (BS)
Employer(s)Relativity Space, Embedded Ventures
TitleCo-Founder, Founding CTO, and Executive Advisor of Relativity Space
General Partner, Embedded Ventures

Jordan Noone (born 1992) is an American aerospace engineer and the Founding CTO of Relativity Space. He is now a General Partner at Embedded Ventures[1] which he co-founded in 2020 with Jenna Bryant.[2]

Early life and education

Noone became the first student and youngest individual in the world to get Federal Aviation Administration clearance to fly a rocket to space while leading the Rocket Propulsion Lab at the University of Southern California.[3] Noone is also active in the advocacy space; In January 2025, Noone initiated a petition to change the United States Postal Service's slogan to "Pushing the Envelope," aiming to modernize the organization's image and emphasize its commitment to innovation and progress.

Career

Blue Origin

Main article: Blue Origin

In 2013, after his junior year at the University of Southern California, Noone interned with Blue Origin's propulsion group.[4]

SpaceX

After graduating from the University of Southern California, Noone was hired by SpaceX as an In-Space Propulsion Development Engineer.[5]

Relativity Space

Main article: Relativity Space

Noone co-founded Relativity Space, a company building a 3D printer for rockets, with Tim Ellis in 2015. As of October 2019, the company had raised $185 million in equity and grew to over 170 employees.[6]

In September 2020, Noone stepped down as the CTO of Relativity Space, becoming an Executive Advisor to the company.[7]

Embedded Ventures

In 2020, Noone co-founded Embedded Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on investing in dual-use space startups that support both commercial and national security applications. The firm seeks to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley innovation and the needs of the U.S. Department of Defense, with particular emphasis on early-stage companies working in areas such as in-space manufacturing, energy, and logistics. In 2021, Embedded Ventures signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Space Force to align venture capital investment with national security priorities.[8] In January 2023, the firm announced the launch of its first fund, totaling $100 million, to support startups advancing technologies that can serve both civilian and military purposes.[9]

Zoo (formerly KittyCAD)

In 2021, Noone co-founded KittyCAD, a company focused on building programmable, API-first tools for mechanical computer-aided design (CAD). The company aimed to modernize hardware design workflows by offering a GPU-native geometry engine and developer-friendly APIs.[10]

In 2023, KittyCAD rebranded as Zoo and launched new tools including ML-ephant, a machine learning API, and Text-to-CAD, which enables users to generate 3D models from natural language input.[11]

Noone currently holds a position of Executive Chairman for Zoo, a roll he assumed in 2022 when Jessie Frazelle joined the company as CEO.

Patents

Noone is listed as the inventor on three patents related to Relativity Space: "Real-time adaptive control of additive manufacturing processes using machine learning",[12] "Methods and apparatuses related to payload launch vehicles.",[13] and "Real-time adaptive control of manufacturing processes using machine learning."[14]

Noone is also listed as the inventor on an additional patent in relation to his work on Zoo: "Computer aided design system, application, and application programming interface"[15]

Recognitions

Noone was recognized by Forbes in two of their 30 Under 30 lists in 2019 - the Manufacturing and Industry list[16] and the Big Money list.[17]

In 2018, Noone was included on Inc.'s Rising Stars list of Most Inspiring Young Entrepreneurs.[18]

Business Insider recognized Noone on their 2018 "30 And Under: These are the rising stars in tech who are driving innovation" list.[19]

Noone currently holds two patents for real-time adaptive control of manufacturing processes using machine learning,[20] and is skilled at Matlab and Simulink.[21]

References

  1. ^ Anglada DeRaad, Casey (March 1, 2021). "Newspace New Mexico Newsletter - March 2021" (PDF). Newspace New Mexico Newsletter. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "Military building an appetite for commercial space services". SpaceNews. June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "Jordan Noone, Relativity Space". Incubate USC. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  4. ^ Godlewski, Carl (May 28, 2013). "From the Land of Screenplays a NewSpace Trojan Emerges: An interview with Jordan Noone of the USC Rocket Propulsion Lab". New Space Global. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  5. ^ Boyle, Alan (October 1, 2019). "Relativity Space raises $140M to stay on track for 3D-printed rocket's launch". GeekWire. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Sheetz, Michael (October 1, 2019). "Relativity, a company 3D printing entire rockets, raises $140 million from venture firms Bond, Tribe". CNBC. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  7. ^ Sheetz, Michael (September 9, 2020). "Co-founder of 3D rocket printer Relativity steps down as tech chief, will stay as advisor". CNBC. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  8. ^ "U.S. Space Force signs CRADA with Embedded Ventures". SpaceNews. December 2021.
  9. ^ Watson, Riley (January 31, 2023). "VC firm Embedded Ventures launches $100 million fund focused on national security and space". CNBC.
  10. ^ "Introducing Zoo". zoo.dev. December 13, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  11. ^ "KittyCAD Announces Zoo, Launches New Machine Learning API". StreetInsider. December 13, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  12. ^ U.S. patent 10234848B2
  13. ^ U.S. patent 20250011890A1
  14. ^ U.S. patent 20200166909A1
  15. ^ U.S. patent 20230161649A1
  16. ^ "30 Under 30 2019: Manufacturing & Industry". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  17. ^ "30 Under 30 2019: Big Money". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  18. ^ "Meet the 30 Most Inspiring Young Entrepreneurs of 2018". Inc.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  19. ^ "30 And Under: These are the rising stars in tech who are driving innovation". Business Insider. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  20. ^ "Real-time adaptive control of manufacturing processes using machine learning". Google Patents. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  21. ^ "Jordan Noone". LinkedIn. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
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