Assisting European Space Start-ups in Scaling Up

Activities

Starting from 2019, there were 6 space academies, each involving 10 startups. These 2-day events were held throughout Europe in various relevant space and business locations.

The next Space Academy was held virtually from the 16th to the 18th of June 2021 in conjunction with the EBAN Annual Congress. Applications were open for startups to receive expert services until the 11th of April 2021. Full information on the event was available on the SpaceUp website.

The selected startups received support documentation based on their business plan and needs beforehand; participated in up to six individually selected one-to-one mentoring and coaching meetings; pitched in front of a large audience, including investors, on the second day; and had their travel expenses covered, including participation in at least one networking dinner and possibly the final event.

The events were broken down as follows: 

Day 1

The first day consisted of one-to-one and roundtable meetings and workshops. All entrepreneurs had the opportunity to improve their skills and gain insights from experts on various topics. The workshops focused on more general skills, though they remained intensive. The skills taught, such as investment readiness, business modeling, and intellectual property rights (IPR), were applicable to all sectors. The one-on-one meetings were more personalized, offering tailored guidance to the entrepreneurs.

Day 2

The second day followed the format of a small congress with panels, keynotes, and pitching sessions selected from the ten startups. Keynotes and panels led by field experts informed attendees about the latest trends in the space and business sectors.

These events featured experts and field leaders in many areas of space/aerospace and business, including:

• Investment readiness
• Crowdfunding
• Hot trends in artificial intelligence and robotics
• Business models
• European funding for young SMEs
• The European Space ecosystem