The European Space Agency's business incubator ESA BIC Czech Republic will support more space technology start-ups. Entrepreneurs can receive €50,000 and other support to develop their ideas. The application deadline is 22 September.
The ESA BIC Czech Republic incubator, managed by CzechInvest Agency, supports projects that use space technologies and satellite data or introduce new innovative technologies for the space market. Each year, innovative start-ups are selected to receive support in the form of business funding, mentoring, technical advice and office, workshops and laboratory facilities. ESA BIC Czech Republic also works to raise the visibility of these companies, opening the door to interesting contacts and further investment.
"The space industry is a great opportunity for the Czech Republic. CzechInvest's role is to support innovative start-ups and connect them with investors, industry and research institutes that they would have difficulty reaching on their own, and the ESA BIC incubator helps to do just that," said Ivo Denemark, Director of the Start-ups and Innovative SMEs Department at CzechInvest.
The next deadline for applications to the incubator is set for 22 September 2023. Representatives of ESA BIC Czech Republic have prepared an informative online workshop for those interested, where they will present benefits and conditions of incubation, explain selection process and give useful tips on how to fill in applications. The workshop will take place on 7 September at 16:00. Start-ups can register for it or sign up for a one-on-one consultation to get tailored advice.
"When we talk about space technology, most people think of rockets and satellites. But the ESA BIC incubator supports any organisation that uses satellite data, for example, regardless of the sector in which it operates. The activities of incubated startups are therefore used in areas as diverse as agriculture, urban planning, art, aviation, fishing or tourism," says Marie Němečková, Incubation Manager at ESA BIC Czech Republic.
Since 2016, when the incubator started operating in the Czech Republic, it has selected 51 startups, some of which it has helped to develop their first prototype, while others have been supported on their way to market. One of the most successful incubated startups is Groundcom.space. It has gone from an idea to a successful business, signing a contract to operate a future constellation of 400 satellites with a company that develops satellites for the US Air Force. More information on the ESA BIC Czech Republic incubator is available at www.esa-bic.cz.
Media contact:
David Hořínek
PR Manager and Spokesperson
+420 724 591 667
david.horinek@czechinvest.org
www.czechinvest.org