João Fernandes

Founding Member

• Space tech startup built with colleagues, no external funding, building in public. Validating startup hardware in orbit and building flight-proven component catalogs
• Small team, so AI is the multiplier. Building agentic workflows, automated research pipelines, and internal tools that let us operate like a team twice our size
• Supporting across BD, ops, and internal systems. Built the operating backbone from scratch: CRM, pipeline, docs, SOPs

BD & Partnerships Lead

• Built the BD engine, community, and ecosystem presence from zero for a pre-launch BTC interop protocol on Sui
• Main point of contact for the entire partner ecosystem. Managed 20+ partner relationships simultaneously, tracking integrations, following through on technical and marketing needs, and making sure nothing stalled
• Executed the BD side of Native's pivot from a Cosmos-based L1 to Sui. Repositioned partner relationships, rebuilt the pipeline, and aligned the ecosystem narrative around nBTC and BYield
• Scaled community from 10k to 70k across Twitter and Discord pre-launch. Built all community infrastructure from scratch: Discord architecture, regional community leads, KOL Ambassador program, Bee Hive engagement squad
• Closed 10+ meaningful DeFi integration partnerships across Sui protocols, wallets, and infra providers, not logo swaps, but committed integrations with real technical scope
• Bridge between community, devs, BD, and external partners. Cross-synced across teams to keep everyone aligned on what was happening and what was needed
• Designed structured adoption programs: nBTC LP Program, Hive points system, KOL alliances. Programs designed and ready to ship but didn't fully launch due to project transition
• Managed a 10+ KOL ambassador network: sourcing, onboarding, content coordination, and payouts
• Translated MPC, SPV, and dWallet/IKA architecture into pitch decks, one-pagers, and partner packs that non-technical partners and funds could act on

BD & Ecosystem Lead

• One of the first people on the project. Shaped the initial pitch, positioning, and partnership strategy from day one before a dedicated BD function existed
• Main ecosystem POC managing all partner relationships. Built a launch partnership pipeline of 10+ projects ready for integration at launch. Onboarded early DeFi protocols and infra partners to form the initial ecosystem
• Created partner onboarding playbooks, CRM workflows, and retention processes that became the operating model
• Translated the technical story of Rollux into talking points and partner-friendly explanations that non-technical teams could run with
• Represented Rollux at conferences and organized side-events to drive ecosystem adoption and generate BD leads. Highly efficient at working conferences: running rooms, pitching, and maximizing every event

Business Developer & Ecosystem Growth

• Grew community program participation 5x in under 3 months through structured campaigns and engagement initiatives
• Built internal ops from scratch: communication channels, CRMs, shared drives, documentation systems
• Drove lead generation, due diligence, and partner engagement; represented Syscoin at conferences and events