{ { Infobox person
| name = Alexander Galitsky
| image = Галицкий Александр Владимирович.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Alexander Galitsky, 2015 year
| birth_name = Alexander Vladimirovich Galitsky
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Zarechany, Zhytomyr Oblast, UkrSSR, Soviet Union
| citizenship = Dutch, Russian
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| alma_mater = Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology
| occupation = Investor and entrepreneur
| known_for = founder and managing partner of Almaz Capitalfounder of ELVIS-PLUS pioneer of Wi-Fi and VPN technologies | awards = }}
Alexander "Sasha" Galitsky (Ukrainian:Олекса́ндр Володи́мирович Га́лицький, born February 9, 1955, Zarechany, Zhytomyr Oblast, UkrSSR, Soviet Union) is an international technology entrepreneur. He is the founder of ELVIS-PLUS and the founder and managing partner of Almaz Capital, and involved in many technology companies in Europe and the USA. In the Soviet years, he was a defense scientist in the Soviet space industry. Alexander Galitsky identities himself a Ukrainian.
Biography
Early years
Alexander Galitsky was born on February 9, 1955, in the village of Zarechany, Zhytomyr Region, Ukrainian SSR. He graduated from school with honors and entered the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology (MIET). Galitsky became interested in theoretical physics and computer calculations. He did his practical work at the Zelenograd Scientific Research Institute of Microdevices (NIIMP) and continued to work there, obtaining a diploma in 1979. Subsequently, at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology at the Research Institute of Micro-Instruments, he defended his PhD dissertation in technical sciences in the specialty of Technical Cybernetics.
NPO "ELAS" and STC "ELVIS"
Scientific Research Institute of Microdevices was the head enterprise of the ELAS research and production association (NPO) and the leading Soviet scientific center for space technology. The Institute developed satellites for remote sensing of the surface of the Earth, computer systems for the Mir orbital station, and space communications systems.
In the years of Perestroika, the scientific institutes were reorganized, and the scientific and technical center "ELVIS" (electronic computer information systems) with about 400 employees was under the leadership of Galitsky.
In 1990 the founder of Sun Microsystems Bill Joy and the director of the science office John Gage came to the USSR at the invitation of the USSR International Computer Club, ;pplomg for talented technical specialists . Galitsky showed Sun executives a flexible 22-layer polyamide PCB, which he had developed in ELAS and which was significantly superior to the 8-layer boards being produced in large quantities. The IP-based data transmission system for spy satellites also made a strong impression.
In 1991, Galitsky first visited Silicon Valley and returned from a trip with the idea of promoting Soviet technological developments in the West through the creation of Soviet companies in the US and attracting venture capital from local investors.
Entrepreneurship
ELVIS+
Sun Microsystems agreed with the US State Department to provide Galitsky, his colleagues and other leading specialists from Zelenograd and their family members with 200 green cards for moving to the States. Sun sent Galitsky 20 high-performance workstations with SPARC processors. ELVIS was not allowed to register such equipment by law, and in order to get round this legal conflict, Galitsky and his colleagues established private ELVIS+ in November 1991.
The collaboration of ELVIS+ with Sun began with a project of a low-orbit satellite communications system, which was curtailed due to a lack of funding and restrictions on the export of technologies. The companies continued to work for the implementation of the 802.11 protocol (which was later named Wi-Fi) in a PCMCIA-compatible device for integrating mobile computers into a wireless network. In 1993 ELVIS+ was already ahead of other contractors attracted by Sun, including Motorola, and presented its development in 1993. Sun then bought 10% of the company for $1 million. In the wake of rumors about Galitsky's involvement in the creation of nuclear weapons delivery systems for the countries of the Middle East, closed hearings were held with the participation of representatives of US intelligence agencies and senators.