Will Bruey

Will Bruey
Born1988 (age 37–38)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationCornell University (BS, MS)
OccupationCEO
Organizations

William P. Bruey (born 1988) is an American aerospace engineer. He co-founded Also Capital in 2019 and is co-founder and CEO of Varda Space Industries since 2020.[1][2]

Early life and education

Bruey was born in 1989 and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.[3] Since childhood, he had the desire to be an astronaut. He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering physics in 2011 and a master's degree in systems engineering in 2012 from Cornell University.[4] 

Career

While in college, Bruey worked at Space Systems Loral as an electrical systems engineer, where he worked on the data handling system for ViaSat-1. As a student, he also built a power controller system for drawing vacuum on Cornell University's synchrotron particle accelerator. 

He joined SpaceX in June of 2012 as a hardware development engineer on Falcon 9. He designed communication protocol for avionics on the rocket and was responsible for the integration of the first cameras on Falcon as hardware development lead. Bruey was also a lead avionics engineer on the Dragon 1 and Dragon 2 programs. He was a primary mission control operator on eight missions to the International Space Station (ISS). In 2014, he received a NASA Achievement Award for developing the video system that provides visual feedback during robotics operations on the ISS.[5]

Bruey co-founded Second Order Effects, an engineering consulting firm specialized in electrical and embedded systems, with Dennis Fong, another SpaceX avionics engineer, in 2016.[6] In 2018, Bruey left SpaceX and joined Merrill Lynch, the wealth management division of Bank of America, to serve as director of global equities technology in New York City. The next year, he co-founded and served as a partner at Also Capital, a venture capital fund in New York focused on early-stage investments in hardware technology companies.

After meeting Delian Asparouhov from Founders Fund in 2019 and developing a concept for microgravity manufacturing, Bruey co-founded Varda with Asparouhov and Daniel Marshall. Their goal was to build a commercial space company to develop space manufacturing for materials and pharmaceuticals in space. The company, initially headquartered in Torrance, California, raised US$187 million from Founder's Fund, Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Also Capital.[7][8][9]

As of 2026, Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California[10] and is valued at US$887.4 million.[11]

Personal life

Beginning in high school, Bruey built a Cozy MK IV single engine experimental aircraft.[12] He has a private pilot license and is PADI certified.[13] He resides in Santa Monica, California.

Awards

  • NASA Achievement Award (2014)

See also

References

  1. ^ Linder, Natan; Undheim, Trond Arne (October 3, 2022). Augmented Lean: A Human-Centric Framework for Managing Frontline Operations. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 311–313. ISBN 978-1-119-90601-8. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  2. ^ Sario, Azhar ul Haque (May 2, 2025). The New Age of Space Exploration. Azhar ul Haque Sario. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  3. ^ "William Bruey, Author at TechCrunch". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  4. ^ "Revolutionizing Drug Development in Space with Varda - Siemens Software Podcast Network". Siemens. June 28, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  5. ^ Gorman, Douglas (July 11, 2025). "Q&A with Varda's CEO Will Bruey". Payload. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  6. ^ "Dennis Fong - CEO, Co-Founder at Second Order Effects". The Org. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  7. ^ Vedantam, Keerthi (July 28, 2025). "Space Pharmaceutical Producer Raises $187 Million". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  8. ^ "Varda". Founders Fund. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  9. ^ Foust, Jeff (July 11, 2025). "Varda Space Industries raises $187 million". Space News. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  10. ^ "Race to Innovate - Varda Space Industries & Space Base Delta 3". El Segundo Business. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  11. ^ "Varda Valuation | PM Insights". PM Insights. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  12. ^ "Bio for Will Bruey" (PDF). South Bay Cities Council of Governments. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  13. ^ "FAA Registry". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
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