ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) - Empowering Space Start-ups • Aug 2025
ESA Business Incubation Centres (BICs) represent Europe’s leading network for space-related business incubation, supporting entrepreneurs in turning innovative space technology ideas into successful start-ups. With 32 centres across 22 European countries, and with over 100 locations, ESA BICs provide entrepreneurs with €60,000 equity-free funding, ESA technical expertise, and customised support to help their businesses thrive.
Ranked 2nd among European incubator networks and 10th globally by the Financial Times, ESA BIC is a leading force in driving innovation and entrepreneurship across all areas of the European space industry, including upstream, downstream, and technology transfer domains. Since its launch in 2005, ESA BICs have incubated more than 1950 start-ups, which collectively generated 232+ M€ million in revenue and contributed to the creation of 5000+ full time jobs in 2023. Between 2020 and 2023, these start-ups raised more than €1.25 billion in private investment and were granted over 590 patents, reflecting their strong innovation and impact on the space sector.
To further strengthen the growth of space-related startups, the ESA Partnership Initiative for Commercialisation (EPIC) was established in 2022. EPIC connects ESA-supported startups with academic, institutional and corporate partners which include Altair, Airbus, Ellipsis Drive, GEOSAT, ICEYE, Idaero Solutions, Novaspace, OVH Cloud, Planet, Scaleway, Sinergise, Thales Alenia Space and UP42. Its mission is to enhance the commercial success of European startups by facilitating strategic partnerships and providing synergies to foster entrepreneurship and innovation within the space sector.
Interested in taking your space-related idea to the next level? Apply to the ESA BICs today and receive the support you need to succeed. You can find more information about the ESA BIC in your region here.
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