Linde CFO Matt White joins Stoke Space board

Industrious Ventures has tapped Matt White, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Linde, to represent the firm on the board of orbital launch developer Stoke Space. The appointment strengthens Stoke's governance as the company moves from development toward operational launches.

White succeeds Steve Angel, Chairman of Linde, who had been Industrious’s seat on Stoke’s board since the firm led Stoke’s Series B in October 2023. Industrious, an evergreen deep‑tech investor that backs industrial-scale founders from early stages through production, cited the need for executive expertise in large capital programmes and industrial operations as a driver for the change.

At Linde, White oversees global finance for one of the world’s largest industrial gases and engineering groups. His remit includes complex project financing, supply‑chain scale‑ups and deployment of mission‑critical systems — competencies the backers say are directly applicable to Stoke’s pursuit of full and rapid reusability for orbital launch vehicles. White’s credentials include a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Penn State, an MBA in Finance from the University of Delaware, and both CPA and CFA qualifications.

Industry context matters: the commercial launch sector is increasingly focused on reusability and manufacturing discipline to bring down per‑launch costs and increase cadence. Suppliers of propellants and cryogenics have become strategic partners to launch firms; Linde has supplied oxygen and other gases to the U.S. space industry for decades and recently confirmed capacity expansions in Mims, Florida and Brownsville, Texas to serve growing launch demand.

Stoke’s executive team framed the move as practical governance. Andy Lapsa, Co‑Founder and CEO of Stoke Space, said the company will benefit from White’s dual perspective on project finance and industrial operations as it prepares for orbital flight testing and scales production. Mason Angel, Founding Partner at Industrious Ventures, noted that White’s background complements the strategic guidance provided by Steve Angel during Stoke’s early technical milestones.

The appointment also signals a trend in deep‑tech investing: venture backers are increasingly placing seasoned industrial executives on portfolio boards to accelerate the transition from prototype to repeatable manufacturing and sustained operations. For Stoke, which is pursuing ambitious reusability targets to lower marginal costs and boost launch frequency, board expertise in capital allocation, supplier integration and risk management is critical.

With this change, Stoke inherits a board representative with hands‑on experience running global capital programmes at scale. Industrious Ventures continues to position itself as a long‑term partner for companies tackling foundational industrial challenges—from aerospace and energy to advanced manufacturing—bringing both capital and C‑suite operators into boardrooms as companies cross the valley between engineering achievement and industrial repeatability.