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Fabrice Testa
Born (1968-02-01) February 1, 1968 (age 57)
NationalityBelgian-Italian
EducationUniversity of Liège, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, MIT Sloan School of Management, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Harvard University
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, author, investor
Known forCo-founder of Maana Electric
Websitewww.fabricetesta.com

Fabrizio "Fabrice" Testa (born February 1, 1968) is a Belgian-Italian entrepreneur,[1] investor, and author known for his involvement in the NewSpace[2] and deep tech sectors. He is best known as the co-founder of Maana Electric[3] and Atmos Space Cargo[4]. He authored the book Super-Entrepreneurship Decoded, and is actively involved serving as an advocate and mentor in the European startup ecosystem.

Early life and education

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Testa was born in Belgium to an Italian immigrant family. He studied aerospace engineering at the University of Liège and later earned a business management degree from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. He pursued further executive education at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, as well as programs at the International Space University and Harvard University.

Career

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Testa began his professional career in 1991 in the optomechanics sector for space and astronomy. He later launched a multimedia venture that introduced interactive touchscreen kiosks[5] in McDonald's playgrounds.

XDC (Exchange Digital Cinema)[6] is a company based in Liège, Belgium, that specializes in digital cinema.In 2005, he was involved in a large-scale project to digitize European cinemas,[5] contributing to the company's expansion in the sector.

Media sources including RTBF and La Libre[7] reported on XDC's milestones during that period.

In 2012, Testa founded a satellite services company in Luxembourg, which was acquired in 2015. He subsequently focused on angel investing and startup mentoring, particularly in the space and advanced technology sectors.

In 2018, Testa co-founded Maana Electric, a startup developing technology to convert sand into solar panels and other infrastructure components. The company's "TerraBox" unit aims to manufacture solar panels in remote environments, including potential future applications on the Moon.

The startup has been featured in various media outlets, including Delano,[8] Paperjam,[9] and Silicon Luxembourg.[3]

"Born in 2018 in Luxembourg after winning the Luxembourg Prize--SpaceStarters Award at the first Space Forum organised in Luxembourg, the space start-up has even chosen to stick its head (and feet) in the sand of Dubai and the Middle East, in line with its development plan".[10]

As a co‑founder of Luxembourg Space Tech Angels, Testa has remarked that "They [the economy ministry] use space resources like F1 in the car industry... This created a lot of momentum," reflecting the government's strategic approach to space development.[11]

In 2023, he co-founded 'Atmos Space Cargo[4]', a company focused on space logistics and orbital return solutions.

Entrepreneurship and Investment Activity

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Testa has invested in and advised numerous startups in space, defense, and deep tech. He served as a board member of the Luxembourg Business Angels Network[12][13] and as chair of the space executive committee of EBAN[14] (European Business Angels Network).

"LBAN is a non-profit organisation with around 60 members whose mission is to provide tools to business angels in order for them to be improve investments and ensure that requirements in early-stage development are met."[13]

He was also co-chair of the Luxembourg Space Tech Angels Network[15] and served as a senator at the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF), where he was secretary-general of the WBAF Business School.

Speaking to Delano, he described Luxembourg's approach to the space economy by saying, "They [the economy ministry] use space resources like F1 in the car industry. The most advanced are doing asteroid mining. This created a lot of momentum".[11]

Testa has participated in European innovation programs including Copernicus Accelerator (European Commission), Astropreneur, Fit4Start, Cassini Accelerator,[16] and EUDIS, as both judge and mentor.

Publications

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In 2021, Testa authored the book 'Super-Entrepreneurship Decoded', which presents a framework called the CRAZY Method™—an acronym for Catapulting ambition, Rock-solid planning, Amazing solutions, grasping the Zeitgeist, and adopting a Yamakasi mindset. The book discusses strategies used by entrepreneurs to build impactful ventures across multiple sectors.

Speaking to Silicon Luxembourg, Testa said "The age we are living in gives tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs to materialise their crazy dreams. If they have a crazy idea they should trust it".[17]

Media and Public Engagement

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Testa has been featured in international outlets including Forbes[18],[18] Entrepreneur[19], Delano,[10] Paperjam[9] and Silicon Luxembourg[17]. He is a regular speaker at entrepreneurship and innovation events in Europe.

References

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  1. ^ "Au CES, «commencez par écouter votre interlocuteur»!". paperjam.lu (in French). Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  2. ^ ""C'est un appel à se retrousser les manches!"". paperjam.lu (in French). Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  3. ^ a b Bauldry, Jess (2022-01-19). "Maana Electric: Solar Panel Factories And Space Sockets". Silicon Luxembourg. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  4. ^ a b "Team – ATMOS Space Cargo".
  5. ^ a b "L'Europe réfléchit à son propre scénario". La Libre.be. June 25, 2025.
  6. ^ "XDC: une société liégeoise partenaire officiel à Cannes - RTBF Actus". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  7. ^ Chardon, Frédéric (2025-06-25). "XDC, le leader du ciné ma numérique". La Libre.be (in French). Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  8. ^ "From sand to solar panels: Maana Electric opens production site". delano.lu. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  9. ^ a b "Solar power on the moon by 2030, hopes Lux startup". en.paperjam.lu.
  10. ^ a b "Maana Electric sets up in Dubai". delano.lu.
  11. ^ a b "Return on space". delano.lu. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  12. ^ Pool, The (July 10, 2017). "Luxembourg Business Angel Network Establishes The Space Angel Group".
  13. ^ a b "Business angels head to space". delano.lu. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  14. ^ "Fabrice Testa Succeeds Anthony Clarke as New EBAN Space Chairman – EBAN". Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  15. ^ "LSTA, un groupement d'intérêt en faveur du spatial". paperjam.lu (in French). Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  16. ^ "Mentors | CASSINI Hackathons". www.cassini.eu.
  17. ^ a b Bauldry, Jess (September 22, 2021). "Fabrice Testa: "If They Have A Crazy Idea They Should Trust It"".
  18. ^ a b Cook, Jodie. "Why Do Some Entrepreneurs Fail While Others Succeed?". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  19. ^ Daisyme, Peter (December 1, 2021). "Trying to Start a Business and Feeling Lost? 10 Books to Guide You Forward". Entrepreneur.