CzechInvest has launched a new programme for technology startups within which entrepreneurs can apply for support in the ESA BIC Czech Republic space incubator. Twenty-five new startups will be incubated in Prague and fifteen in Brno. The programme is the successor of ESA BIC Prague and is thus expanding the incubator’s activities throughout the Czech Republic.
ESA BIC Czech Republic will offer up to EUR 50,000 and professional mentoring to startups that use space technologies either in space or on Earth. Following submission of the registration form, potential participants will undergo a selection process in which they will present their projects to experts from the European Space Agency, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the City of Prague, the South Moravia Region, the South Moravian Innovation Centre and CzechInvest, which is the founder of the incubator.
CzechInvest, which is the administrator of the incubator in the Czech Republic, mediates consulting and advisory services for startups in technical and business areas, including marketing and PR support. The agency also puts startups in contact with partners and potential investors on the domestic and foreign markets.
“We are very pleased that in the first five years of the ESA BIC Prague space incubator, we succeeded in supporting a total of 34 startups, to which we provided expert mentoring while ensuring financial support and investments for their development in the total amount of EUR 12 million. It is interesting to see how these startups are establishing themselves on the international scene and how their potential is growing among other technology companies in the space industry,” says Patrik Reichl, CEO of CzechInvest.
“Space activities are undoubtedly the field of the future. The past five years have shown how many promising ideas for the use of satellite systems and for the development of space hardware are originating in the Czech Republic! And ESA BIC is a fantastic tool for supporting the transfer of these ideas into business form and putting them into practice. In addition to support from ESA, we will also want to exploit the potential of the new EU Agency for the Space Programme, which has been based in Prague since May 2021,” adds Minister Karel Havlíček, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The Czech space incubator wants to build on its previous successes through even closer cooperation with the academic sphere, research institutes, the private sector and investors. Its mission is to provide direct support for space projects and to encourage interest in space technology among secondary-school and university students.
“Cooperation with ESA BIC Czech Republic is an important part of the innovation policy of the City of Prague. We want to promote responsible and sustainable business together with research and development of new solutions and technologies whose impact reaches far beyond the borders of our region,” says Zdeněk Hřib, mayor of Prague.
The words of the Prague mayor are confirmed by the governor of the South Moravia Region, Jan Grolich: “We have space technologies to thank for many of the innovations that we now encounter on a daily basis. Our common goal is to create such conditions that will support ground-breaking ideas and attract domestic and foreign investors to the space industry.”
Successfully incubated ESA BIC projects include startups that use space patents, satellite navigation or remote Earth observation for their products or services. The aim of the business incubator is to bring these technologies into everyday life and to help innovative projects to participate in space missions within the European space programme.
What does the ESA BIC Czech Republic business incubator offer to potential participants?
Technical mentoring – technical development of a product or service and partnership with experts
Business mentoring – further development of the given startup and seeking of grant opportunities and investors
Networking – establishment of contacts through participation in Czech and international conferences
Technology transfer – use of patents and technologies of the European Space Agency
Office premises – discounted rent in modern offices in Prague and Brno
National and international marketing and PR – promotion of the product or service on social networks and at events
Who can submit a registration form for incubation in ESA BIC Czech Republic?
startups not older than five years
secondary-school and university students
science projects with commercial potential
spin-off companies
The ESA BIC Czech Republic registration form is available here:
ESA BIC Czech Republic registration form
Links to the social media pages of ESA BIC Czech Republic:
Facebook ESA BIC Czech Republic
Twitter ESA BIC Czech Republic
LinkedIn ESA BIC Czech Republic