ROOM
80
Astronautics
A
ccelerators and incubators are an
important platform for advancing
entrepreneurship around the globe, helping
a new generation of young companies and
particularly high-tech start-ups to grow, prosper
and thrive. There are a rapidly growing number
focused exclusively on the space industry.
This clustering of young businesses fuels the
growing appetite for space technology investment
from business angels and venture capital funds. Well
sign-posted and highly visible, they help reduce
search effort for investors by creating a pipeline
of vetted technologies for the market. Likewise,
larger corporates have a growing recognition that
accelerators and incubators are a source for cutting-
edge innovative products and services.
To have a complete picture of the different
entrepreneurial space technology ecosystems
around Europe and a better understanding of
the different initiatives and best practices, Mark
Boggett, CEO of Seraphim Space Fund, maps out
accelerators and incubators serving the space
industry across Europe and the UK.
The bedrock of space industry activity in this
area is a network of incubators managed by the
European Space Agency (ESA) operating across
Eu 19 countries, with the larger countries such as
France and Germany having multiple incubators.
Mark Boggett
CEO, Seraphim Space
Fund, London
European space business
incubators and accelerators
TOTAL
SPACE FOCUS
SPACE
TECH ENABLING
UK
Accelerator
68
UK wide
3
14
Incubator
65
UK wide
9
16
EU
Accelerator
83
EU Top Cities
8
19
Incubator
45
EU Top Cities
20
10
Incubators
Since start-up companies lack many resources, experience
and networks, incubators provide services which helps
them get over initial hurdles in starting up a business.
These include flexible low-cost accommodation which
can scale with the growing needs of the business, along
with legal, accounting, computer services and other
prerequisites to running the business. Business incubators
differ from research and technology parks in their
dedication to start-up and early-stage companies.
Accelerators
A defined programme for a cohort of
companies (typically 10-20), run over a
period of time (from a few weeks to a full
year) which includes training, mentoring,
networking, business plan and proposition
development, investment readiness training
and introductions to potential corporate
customers through demo days and to angels
and venture funds through pitch events.
