Team

Isabelle Gordge is the Chief Technical Officer at Alien Technology Transfer. In her role, Isabelle coaches and manages the teams working on the EIC Accelerator, ensuring the delivery of the highest quality services to our clients. Before joining Alien as a Project Consultant in 2015, Isabelle studied Civil Engineering at the University of Manchester. During her time at Alien, she has supported SMEs from over 20 countries, raising more than €36 million in project financing. Isabelle is inspired by innovation and always strives to deliver excellence in her work. As Chief of Project Consulting, she aims to reflect that excellence and stimulate the ambition and determination of the EIC Accelerator team.

Born and raised in Belgium, with Spanish origins, Laetitia started her career in the capital of Europe. After her Cell and Developmental Biology studies, she pursued a PhD in Sciences, focusing on the genotoxic effects of nanomaterials and the adaptation of tests for their correct safety evaluation. She has collaborated on different EU FP6 and FP7 projects. As a researcher of the Research Foundation Flanders, she worked at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and the National Research Council in Rome. She has been solicited as an expert for the evaluation of European projects and for the adaptation of OECD test guidelines. She is fluent in Dutch, French, English, and Italian. At Alien Technology Transfer, Laetitia coordinates the development of projects in various fields (drug development, biotechnology, energy, security, agriculture etc.) and helps small US businesses to translate their innovative research into commercial products.

Vinaya is the Chief Sales Officer at Alien Technology Transfer, where she leads the Funding Consulting department. In this position, she is responsible for aligning sales growth targets with the company’s revenue goals and developing strategies to consult our clients more effectively in both the EIC and SBIR business lines. Having completed her MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) and gaining experience in various business development roles, Vinaya has the right mix of analytical and interpersonal skills. She enjoys working in challenging environments that offer learning opportunities and gives an impetus to both professional and personal growth. This aligned perfectly with the dynamic and ever-growing scale of business at Alien Technology Transfer where she joined in 2019. Since then, she has demonstrated great dedication and leadership and aspires to lead the company to new heights.

Marco Mirilli is the Chief of HR at the Alien Technology Transfer Group. Graduated from the European Business School of London with an MA in HR Management, Marco joined Alien Technology Transfer in 2020. Before that, he gained a few years of experience under his belt specifically within the Recruitment & Selection industry, mainly looking for IT professionals around the globe. Therefore, he is primarily experienced in Research & Selection, job interviews, active and passive sourcing, and social media recruiting. Marco firmly believes in the importance of taking on new challenges and being constantly open to a new impulse for inspiration.

Raffaella Sotunde is in charge of carrying out the activities and tasks related to the legal function of the company.
Raffaella has a master degree in Law, graduated from the Law University of Naples Federico II. She joined Alien Technology Transfer in April 2021. Before joining the team, she had 3 years’ experience as a trainee Lawyer in a big international Law firm in Naples, at the end of which she passed the Bar exam. She joined Alien Technology Transfer to empower her knowledge of Law applied to the dynamic and evolving environment of new technologies.

Gabriele Piergiovanni holds the role of Chief Technology Officer of Alien Venture Studio, where he is responsible for the evaluation of technological trends and scouting of breakthrough scientific research with the ultimate goal of designing and launching novel startups. His work includes the establishment of R&D project consortia and the support of newly established companies in securing early funding rounds.

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University College of London, Gabriele joined Alien Technology Transfer in 2017 after 10 years of research in molecular oncology, to make sure that promising scientific research is made available to everybody by launching it into successful businesses. At Alien, he previously led the first team of consultants dedicated to the SBIR/STTR funding scheme, the most competitive research and innovation federal funding program in the United States. In this role, he worked with a wide spectrum of US-based start-ups helping them secure more than $20M from the US National Institute of Health and the US National Science Foundation.

Gabriele is a tech enthusiast and enjoys understanding how technological trends can bring value to the society, while he tries to become a professional tennis player.

Justina Sauciuvenaite is the Venture Relationship Manager at Alien Technology Transfer. Her main goal is to build strong and valuable relationships with venture firms and other strategic investment partners who could invest in our best portfolio companies. Although she is currently based in Vilnius, she loves travelling to different countries and networking at various events. Having graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Justina has a great passion for technologies that make the world a better and safer place to live. Outside of work, you can find her training in nature, inline speed skating or engaging in other activities that help her relax, clear her mind, and open her eyes to the wide range of opportunities available in our highly innovative world.

Guido Manzi is a R&D Manager at Alien Venture Studio, where plays a key role in studying and shaping the state of the art concepts used as the foundation for venture studio projects in Artificial Intelligence. He identifies international partnerships with institutions and scientists to strengthen the Venture Studio network and various project consortiums. With a PhD in Physics from the University of Tor Vergata in Rome, he has contributed to the scientific and technical growth of the company since the beginning.

Javier Miranda is a Project Coordinator at Alien Innovation Consulting, where he is responsible for overseeing the work of a team of Project Consultants. Together, they bring the best consulting to our clients on key strategic project issues and preparing successful applications for the EIC Accelerator funding scheme. With a Master´s in International Business Management and Certified Associated in Project Management by the PMI, Javier first joined Alien in 2016. Before becoming a Project Coordinator, he worked as a Project Consultant and counts now with the work experience of  more than 90 clients from all around Europe. Javier has a genuine passion for technology and business, and he is now able to transmit this passion and his analytical mindset to his colleagues to keep moving ideas from lab to market. During his free time, you can find him enjoying the sunny weather in the Canary Islands, either under water in a scuba diving session or, practicing rock climbing with friends.

Binny Mony is currently a Coordinator at Alien Innovation Consulting, where she oversees a team of SBIR-NIH consultants. She is a biotechnologist with vast expertise in cellular parasitology and microbiology, with several high profile publications. Prior to her current role, she was the CTO and co-founder of a tech based startup which was backed up by government funding. Though born and brought up in Bahrain, she has lived all over India and the UK and has travelled across the world exploring new cuisines and cultures. Spirituality is what helps her stay grounded and while not at work, she likes to extend her experimental skills to the kitchen and churn out innovative recipes.

João Santos is currently a Coordinator at Alien Technology Transfer, where he oversees a team of SBIR-NIH consultants. Holding a Ph.D. in Regenerative Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease, João brings an extensive background in Stem Cell Biology, Extracellular Signaling, and Disease Modeling to his role. With a career marked by collaborative endeavors across prominent research institutes in Europe, he is driven by a passion for transforming cutting-edge research concepts into impactful business ventures and innovative healthcare solutions. João’s journey with Alien Technology Transfer began in 2023, aligning with his unwavering commitment to staying at the forefront of recent scientific developments. Beyond his professional commitments, he is a passionate science communicator, actively engaging with national institutions to advance scientific dissemination activities. During his leisure time, João finds enjoyment in video gaming and loves practicing Paddle.

Davide Simonetti is a Coordinator at Alien innovation Consulting, aiming to ensure the highest quality project consulting services for our clients. As EIC Accelerator expert, Davide supports its project consulting team with strategy, coaching and training activities. After a MSc in Biomedical Engineering at La Sapienza University of Rome, Davide obtained a PhD in Bioengineering from UCBM of Rome with a focus on assistive and rehabilitation robotics. Davide joined Alien in 2018, decided to exploit his professional abilities to transfer brilliant research ideas into powerful business opportunities. Davide is passionate about highly innovative technologies and, as Senior Coordinator, he is committed to ensure that the top-quality European innovations successfully reach the market. As a former swimmer, Davide crossed the Strait of Messina (connecting Sicily and Calabria in southern Italy) two times, swimming alongside dolphins and whales! During his honeymoon in the Cook Islands, he got a new driving licence to ride a motorbike. Today, he loves to spend his free time practising sport, travelling and enjoying the good company of his family and friends.

Kiran Kudumula is an Innovation Scout Manager at Alien Innovation Consulting, where he ensures that our overall strategy of scouting startups excel in quality. As a Horizon 2020 EIC Accelerator expert and SBIR-NSF and NIH expert, Kiran supports the innovation scouting team with coaching and training activities to identify the organizations which have excellent and impactful research outcomes with latest technologies. 

Kiran is an experienced professional with a mechanical engineering background and 12 years of experience in academia, research laboratories and served as a peer reviewer and editorial board member. Receipt of Research Excellence Award, Young Scientist Award, Best Guru Award, he also received grants for many projects as principal investigator.

He joined Alien Technolgy Transfer in 2020. Before contributing as Manager, he was involved in identifying potential rising startups and SMEs, accelerating with innovative products and services. Expert in web scraping, potential scouting tools, and databases.

Kiran is passionate about technology trends. As a Innovation Scouting Manager, he is now able to transmit his passion for empowering the EIC Accelerator and SBIR team to consistently reach excellent results.

After work, you can find Kiran listening to music, or travelling with family and friends.

Donepudi Raviteja is a Coordinator at Alien Innovation Consulting, he manages a team of project consultants for EIC accelerator projects. With his cross-functional experience in management, business, and technology, Raviteja supports project consultants in strategy analysis, training, task management and CRM. He strongly believes that ensuring quality service will lead to successful projects and satisfied clients. Before building his career in innovation consulting, Raviteja graduated with PhD in life sciences and computational modelling. He has also been at various academic institutions across South Asia and Europe and participated in executing many collaborative research projects. During graduate studies, he received training across disciplines encompassing natural sciences and basic social sciences. He received highly competitive and prestigious fellowships.

Raviteja is deeply interested in technology evaluation, data driven decision making and institution building. He is an ardent follower of innovative technologies in fields of AI/ML, construction, agriculture, law, transportation and healthcare. When not science-ing or tech-ing, he is usually researching minimalist lifestyles and binge-watching medieval dramas.

Hasan Khandaker is a Project Coordinator at Alien Innovation Consulting managing a team of Project Consultants that helps European SMEs and deep tech startups to reach their capital objectives through public funding. 

Graduated from Brunel University in BEng (Hons) Manufacturing Engineering with Management, Hasan has 16 years of experience in operations, strategy, P&L oversight, and managing projects from concept to completion. Having worked with Fortune 500, startups, consulting, and non-profit organisations, he enables teams to deliver business value quickly by leveraging strategic thinking, customer centricity, measurable outcome, and an agile mindset.

In his free time, he likes to travel and spend time with family.

Juan Torres is Coordinator at Alien Innovation Consulting, where he is responsible for overseeing the work of a team of Project Consultants. He is a biotechnologist with great interest in innovative products and processes in the industry. He was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, where he completed his BSc Chemical Bacteriology and Parasitology.

The turning point in his career was the international experience while studying for his MSc Biotechnology degree in Wageningen, Netherlands – which motivated his interest in sustainable and innovative businesses and products.

At Alien he combines his technical and research background with the experience of working in a wide range of scientific areas in order to get EU funds for projects that are of critical interest.

His interests also include hiking and scouting, which had a great impact in his formation as a person.

Irfan Ahmad is currently a Coordinator at Alien Innovation Consulting, where he leads a team of project consultants helping the US based tech startups in securing NSF and DOE SBIR research funds. He has extensive experience as a technical writer, a researcher and an invited technical reviewer. His expertise domains include materials science, thin film coating, renewable energy, and nanomaterials. He received PhD in physics from the University of Rochester, New York (2012). He is the leading author on multiple peer-reviewed articles that have been cited by a Nobel Laureate and top research institutions including MIT, Stanford and Princeton. After 6 years on the east coast, he moved to the west coast as a scientist in a tech startup in the SF bay area. He has served as a key investigator on three awarded phase II DOE SBIR and several awarded phase I research grants, totaling >$4M research funds. After a decade in the US, he came back to India and joined Alien in early 2022. He enjoys learning about innovative technology ideas that would result in futuristic products, advancing the frontiers of science and technology. His work philosophy is embodied in the couplet, “Are my days just going to pass? If I am just alive, I will surely die” (Jon Eliya).

Jason Shiri is a Coordinator at Alien Innovation Consulting where he is responsible for leading a team of Project Consultants. Jason graduated from the University of Leeds, UK with an MSc in Molecular Biology: Infection Immunity and Human disease. Jason joined Alien in 2020 after having previously worked as a Senior Innovation Consultant, Innovation Manager and Diagnostic Researcher. His interdisciplinary career is driven by a passion for targeted evolution and a culture of continuous improvement. As Coordinator, he is able to lead a team of talented consultants supporting SME’s across the EU traversing various technological verticals (e.g., Health Tech, Artificial Intelligence, Energy and Sustainability ) to secure invaluable bridge funding for deep-tech innovation. Outside of work, you can find him engaged in policy debate or planning his next vacation.

Satya is a Funding Consultant Manager at Alien Innovation Consulting. He leads a team of funding consultants working on the EIC Accelerator, ensuring that we deliver our services to SMEs across multiple geographies in Europe

With a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Satya has always been intrigued by innovation and how it could transform businesses.

In his time prior to joining Alien in 2019, Satya worked for high-growth startups in everything from health tech to consumer durables. He brings expertise in areas such as client management, project management, sales enablement, and process enhancement. 

Satya believes that a strong learning culture is essential to meeting business needs of the future, and he consistently strives for it.

Outside of work, Satya loves spending time in nature for the serenity that it brings. You can find him with his camera travelling and trekking around, and being inspired by cultures from around the world.

Miroslava is a Funding consultant manager at Alien Innovation Consulting, where she is Coaching and managing a team of Funding Consultants and acts as an escalated go-to point of contact in order to strive towards excellence in service. By graduating from movie script writing at the most prestigious art school in Slovakia she achieved one of her dreams. Later, she attended a student-exchange program in New York and found an interest in travelling and in different cultures. As Project & Event Coordinator, PR and Assistant Manager in multiple international environments, Mirka gained skills in public communication, customer services, staff training, and she loves to brainstorm new sales strategies. It is important that her job has a bigger social impact and by empowering talents to drive life-changing innovations forward she is excited to be part of the Alien team.

In spare time Mirka enjoys watersports, hosting home parties, TV series, and podcasts.

As a Funding Consultant Manager at Alien, Sharath leads a dedicated team of SBIR consultants. Their mission is to assist early-stage small businesses in the US to obtain the essential financial support required to scale up their disruptive ideas and innovations.
With a degree in Business Administration, he brings a solid educational background to his role. He possesses exceptional communication skills, which have enabled him to effectively engage with clients and stakeholders since 2019.

Driven by a passion for learning, Sharath finds his job exciting as it allows him to explore new knowledge and insights every day. His commitment to continuous growth fuels his ability to stay updated with the latest industry trends and regulations, ensuring that he delivers optimal results.

Outside of work, he enjoys engaging in various hobbies that further fuel his appetite for learning and personal development. Whether it’s reading books, attending workshops, or exploring new areas of interest, he constantly seeks opportunities to expand his horizons.

Patricia is a Funding Consultant Manager at Alien Innovation Consulting, where she leads a team of Funding Consultants to excel at their goals while operating in a dynamic environment. She ensures quality in service, and company strategy alignment, contributing to success in these areas by overseeing a team and empowering its strengths.

Graduating with honours from the University of Birmingham in Business Enterprise, she also studied a double degree in Law and Business Management and Administration from the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. During her university years, she enjoyed participating in different activities, which led her to become an academic league of debate champion, win a national tournament for young entrepreneurs, and join a yoga club. These skills she gained here contributed to her passion for teamwork and sharpened her determination. 

In her free time, you can find her outdoors, most likely at a concert, spending time with family and friends, or in a café with a book.

Elena started her journey in Alien at the beginning of 2022, while completing her Master’s degree in Management at the LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, from which she graduated with highest honours.

Starting as a Junior Accountant, she immediately proved her dedication and professionalism, covering a central position within the Administration & Accounting department. She now coordinates the department’s primary activities as Administrative Manager, working closely with the other members of the team.

The Alien experience has taught her that administrative planning underpins the strategic goals of an ever-expanding company, and she believes that teamwork is key to a stimulating and inclusive working environment.