People
2D Photonics Board of Directors
Ben Jensen
Ben brings over 20 years of experience in commercialising nanomaterial coatings and semiconductor reactor technologies. As the founder of Surrey NanoSystems, he led the development and scaleup of the world’s darkest materials, marketed under the Vantablack brand, for applications in space, defence, and automotive sensing. Ben specialises in commercial strategy, fundraising, brand development, and business growth across semiconductor, space, and automotive markets
Ben Balmforth
Ben is a Senior Associate at the NATO Innovation Fund and has a particular interest in quantum, semiconductors, photonics, and autonomy. Previously, Ben was an Investment Manager at XTX Ventures, the venture arm of XTX Markets, prior to which he spent four years with Amadeus Capital Partners – one of Europe’s leading deep tech venture capital firms. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MSci in Mathematics and Physics from Durham University
Gianmarco Del Bono
Gianmarco Del Bono is an Investment Manager at CDP Venture Capital’s Large Ventures Fund, specialising in deep-tech and B2B enterprise software, including AI, cybersecurity, and data infrastructure. With seven years in venture capital and experience at firms like Atlantic Bridge and Silverpeak, he also holds an MSc in Micro- and Nanotechnologies and has R&D experience in photonics at Carnegie Mellon and ETH Zurich.
Stefano Soresi
Stefano has more than five years of experience in cleanroom nanofabrication for Photonics applications. He completed his PhD in Electronics at the University of Montpellier (France), funded by a Marie Curie scholarship. He previously worked as a technologist for III-V Lab (France) and CNIT (Italy).
Antonio Avitabile
Dr. Antonio Avitabile is the Managing Director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Sony Ventures Corporation. Over the past 15 years, he has led Sony’s Corporate Development and Venture Capital activities in the EMEA region, overseeing more than 50 deals across Europe and Israel. His responsibilities have included mergers and acquisitions, investments, divestments, and acquihires, with active roles as a board director or observer across the Sony portfolio.
Sebastian Von Ribbentrop
Sebastian von Ribbentrop is a Founding Partner at Join Capital, bringing over 25 years of experience in private equity, real estate, and venture capital. He began his venture career in 1995 by co-founding Germany’s trunked radio provider, Regiokom, which was later acquired by TIW. Sebastian has managed over €3 billion at WestLB and has co-founded companies such as e*Message, Nido Collection (acquired by Greystar), and Wunderhouse. He holds a Master’s in Computer Science and Business from Humboldt University zu Berlin and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Statistics from the University of Passau.
Neil Crabb
Neil Crabb is Chief Executive and founder of Frontier IP, with extensive experience as an investor and director in technology companies and university spinouts. He co-founded Sigma Capital Group plc and previously managed portfolios of small UK companies and tech firms at Duncan Lawrie Ltd. and Equitable Life Assurance.
Stefano Soresi
Stefano has more than five years of experience in cleanroom nanofabrication for Photonics applications. He completed his PhD in Electronics at the University of Montpellier (France), funded by a Marie Curie scholarship. He previously worked as a technologist for III-V Lab (France) and CNIT (Italy).
Founders
Marco Romagnoli
Marco is a renowned expert in photonics, specializing in optical communications and silicon photonics. Since 2010, he has been at the forefront of graphene-based photonic communication devices, showcasing their transformative potential for ultra-high-bandwidth optical communication.
With decades of leadership experience, Marco served as Chief Scientist at Pirelli, driving silicon photonics innovation from its inception in 2001. He also held key roles as Director of Operations at PhotonIC in Boston and Sector Leader at CNIT in Pisa, where he led pioneering efforts in graphene photonics starting in 2012
Andrea Ferrari
Andrea Ferrari is Professor of Nanotechnology at the University of Cambridge. He is also Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre and of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology. He is Professorial Fellow of Pembroke College.
Alessio Pirastu
Dr. Pirastu has 18 years in the telecoms industry, with the last 10 in senior R&D and product development positions at leading manufacturers of photonic components and modules, managing the design of commercial modulators and lasers based on their Indium Phosphide platform. He served at NeoPhotonics (USA), U2T and COGO Optronics (now II-VI, Germany) and Pirelli Labs (Italy).
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