About Us
A group of physicists who are passionate about solving the current energy crisis by transitioning to renewable energy sources for industry. HELIOSAND’s mission is to bring direct concentrated solar energy solutions to industry.
Our Team
Rafik Kheffache
Founder CEO
Physicist with a Ph.D at Paris University. Keen to solve the emerging energy crisis by transitioning to renewable energy sources for industry. He worked as an academic professor and an innovation consultant for corporations and startups.
Benoit Laugier
Investor and advisor
Benoit is a senior manager with 20 years experience in security, compliance and project management.
Nigel Chanter
Entrepreneur and angel investor
Nigel was one of the founding employees and Chief Operating Officer at Perforce Software and co-founded Meticulon, a social enterprise that employs neurodiverse people as technology consultants. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Geoffrey Marino
Co-founder and CTO
Engineer specialized in energy efficiency and innovation. Geoffrey worked mainly at EDF and is the founder of Resens.
Cécile Toussaint
Co-founder and CFO
Cécile coordinates the operational part of Heliosand. Holder of a double degree (Territorial Planning and Human Resources Management). She then completed a Master's degree in Urban Planning Law; she specializes in the management of public law projects. Cécile, a real “Swiss army knife”, has already had the opportunity through her previous professional experiences to manage teams in the field and to deploy her managerial talents.
Paul Fays-Long
Engineer
Engineer in aeronautics and robotics, recently specialized in astronomical optics and telescopes manufacturing.Worked for 15 years in different drones start'ups, acquiring extensive knowledge in low scale aerodynamics, mechanics, robotics, system control, optics, radio-frequencies, energy and thermal management.
Gioacchino Viggiani
Co-founder and CSO
PhD in geomechanics, Gioacchino is the scientific manager of the company. He assumes this role in parallel with his position as university professor in the 3SR research laboratory at the University of Grenoble Alpes. The latter is one of Heliosand's academic partners.
Stéphane Lavallée
Mentor and investor
Stéphane Lavallée, PhD is an entrepreneur specializing in “Smart” Medical Devices (computer aided surgery, robotics, medical imaging, smart implants and instruments, etc.). Stéphane received the Bronze medal from the CNRS (French Centre for Scientific Research) in 1994, the Maurice Muller Award for Excellence in Computer Assisted Surgery in 2006 and the award from the Surgery Academy of Paris in 2011. He is also co-inventor of more than 60 independent patents.
Jordan Wolfe
Mentor and investor
Entrepreneur and angel investor. Prior to co-founding Town Partners, He founded several economic development programs in the city of Detroit. Prior to his work in Detroit, he was an investor at Mainsail Partners.