Edinburgh, 28 March 2022. – Following the first call for applications, the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) has selected the five start-ups to participate in the “Start-up Support Programme” (SSP) and begin their pre-incubation in April, ESRIC said.
Space resources research and innovation centre ESRIC’s SSP aims to support early-stage start-ups to develop their business models and secure their first investments. The selection committee is composed of members of ESRIC, technology incubator Technoport, the Luxembourg Space Agency, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology and ESA. During the first call, 33 applications were received from 17 countries covering the entire value chain of space resources.
The committee selected five companies: Astroport Space Technologies, Anisoprint, Adventus Interstellar, Four Point and Orbit Recycling. The preincubation phase will last three months and will allow the companies to validate technical concepts and align them with market opportunities. They will benefit from both technical and commercial support.
The best project will be selected for a two-year incubation phase to confirm the technical value and further develop the business model. A non-repayable grant of up to €200,000 will be allocated to the start-up along with further technical and commercial support.
A third residency phase of 36 months will also be possible for the winner to monitor technical development and continue growth. ESRIC plans to launch two calls for applications each year.
