Most space tech CFO hires look right on paper and fail within 12–18 months. Not because of capability, but because the role is fundamentally misunderstood. European space tech attracted €1.5 billion in private investment in 2024, a 56% year-on-year jump, according to ESPI's annual Space Venture report, and the pace hasn't slowed. Funding grew by another 25% in 2025. That capital is benefiting space tech startups that are, in many cases, still run by founding teams which have never hired a senior finance leader before. The result is a space tech CFO market that is both undersupplied and increasingly mis-hired.