Joe Yaffe. Photo: LinkedIn

Aetherflux, the space solar startup founded by Baiju Bhatt, has hired Joe Yaffe as chief operating officer (COO) and chief legal officer (CLO). Yaffe joins Aetherflux from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he served as managing partner of the law firm’s Palo Alto office.

Aetherflux aims to harvest solar power in space to meet power needs on Earth. The company raised $50 million in a Series A round last year and recently announced plans for an orbital computer network powered by space solar power called “Galactic Brain.” 

The company said hiring Yaffe “underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power.” Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” Aetherflux founder Baiju Bhatt commented. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth.”