Accepting Applications
Get €50,000 and a tailored support for your space-connected Startup
€50,000 non-dilutive grant
Co-funded by ESA + Regione Puglia. No equity, no repayment.
20+ specialised space tech mentors
C-level executives, tech leads, and senior consultants from space industry. Real experience, not theory.
Access to laboratories & infrastructure
A network of laboratories and facilities across DTA, ESA BIC partners, ESA, and ASI
Space is not just rockets and satellites. If you work on any domain or industry that use space-related data, technology, or components, you are a Space Tech Startup.
We support startups and early-stage teams building space-connected products, at any stage, across any industry. We give you €50,000 in non-dilutive funding, technical and business mentorship and access to the biggest European Space network
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Managed by
Supported by
Incentive for Incubatees co-financed by
Managed by
Supported by
Incentive for Incubatees co-financed by
01
Meet Us: Book a call
Check requirements and book a meeting with us. Review the eligibility criteria and schedule an introductory meeting (mandatory). The process is straightforward: if your innovation has a space connection, we want to hear from you.
02
Application
Prepare and submit your proposal. After the introductory meeting you will be ready to prepare your application. The application must be submitted online through the apply page before the cut-off date.
03
Selection
Get selected. You will pitch your startup to a panel composed by ESA and ASI representative and space experts, against technical and business criteria.
04
Incubation
Join the programme. Accepted startups enter the incubation programme that includes 50k € of zero-equity funding, expert coaching, technical support and full access to the partner ecosystem.
Discover the process
Capabilities
Common Doubts
What everyone asks before applying
I'm not sure how strong my space connection is
Most of our startups don't build satellites. If you use Earth Observation, GNSS, satellite weather, or space-derived technologies, you are space tech. The 30-minute call will clarify any doubts.
I'm still at the idea stage, is it too early?
No. We accept teams with a clear vision and the skills to execute. In fact, joining early is an advantage — you use ESA resources to validate correctly with real data, mentors, and laboratories.
Does contacting you commit me to anything?
Zero. It's exploratory. It lets you talk with the team and understand if there's fit. No commitment until the incubation agreement is signed — and only if both sides are convinced.
Do I need to relocate to Brindisi?
No. The program is hybrid. You just have or incorporate a company in Italy after selection. Some of the activities are recommended in-person, the rest is remote.
Is the €50K really no strings attached?
Yes, completely. It's a fully non-repayable grant co-funded by ESA and Regione Puglia. The only requirement is completing the program and submitting periodic reviews.
I'm not from Southern Italy, can I apply?
Yes. You can apply if you have Italian nationality or italian work permits.
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Marco Aprea — CEO
Versosat
"ESA BIC Brindisi was VersoSat's key entry point into the startup and space ecosystems. Their support and network helped us turn our idea into a concrete project. Importantly, it allowed us to build a deep-tech space company from Southern Italy, showing the region can play a meaningful role in the space industry."
Riccardo Puglisi — Founder
Archimede
"Thanks to ESA BIC, we transformed a vision into a concrete product strategy, that helped us to secure our first fundraising round."
Francesco Giordano — CEO
Flying Demon
"ESA BIC Brindisi provided the professional coaching and strategic ecosystem necessary to bridge the gap between innovation and the market. Their support was vital in transfering sensor technology for deep space into drone-based EO solution for the environmental and agricultural sectors."
Gianvito Lucivero — CEO
QSensato
"The support from ESA BIC Brindisi is instrumental in strengthening our space-based use cases, atomic clocks, magnetometers and other quantum-based devices . Thanks to this network, we are able to validate the market needs of our sensors to enable new capabilities in space."
Pasquale Castellano — CEO
Dymension
"In a market as complex as satellite systems engineering, the guided path at ESA BIC Brindisi is incredibly formative. It provided necessary support to define the precise direction our startup needs to make space design more efficient, traceable, and future-oriented."
Massimo Chiarillo —Founder
Coste360.it
"ESA BIC Brindisi serves as a strategic ally in navigating administrative and bureaucratic complexities when dealing with public customers. This support allows us to focus our energy on our primary mission: enable continuous monitoring of the Italian coastline through satellite data."
Gabriel Eze — CEO
Aspace Company
"The greatest value of ESA BIC Brindisi lies in its personalized business development. The one-on-one sessions with experts have been vital in refining the offering of our satellite-based soil-testing application and preparing our business to attract international investment."
Be our next Success Case
Our impact after 2 Years of Activity
9
Ventures Supported
15+
Strategic partners across industry and research
20+
Mentors and domain experts
ESA network across 22+ countries
Industrial partners, national space agencies, European customers and investors.
Team response within 48 hours
No form that disappears into a void. A human answers — always.
01
What is ESA BIC Brindisi?
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
02
Are you eligible? (full criteria)
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
03
The €50,000 grant in detail
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
04
Why the ESA network changes everything
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
05
The application process step by step
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
06
ESA BIC vs alternatives (honest comparison)
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
07
Alumni case studies with real numbers
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
08
Your pre-application checklist
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
Testimonials
Who already did it
Andrea L.
Founder, AquaEO · Batch 2024
"We thought we weren't 'space tech enough'. Then the call with the team made us realise our water monitoring software was already using Sentinel data. Six months later we had two LOIs from German partners."
Andrea L.
CTO, GeoSense · Batch 2022
"The non-dilutive grant was the right call. It let us avoid giving up equity at a critical moment and we closed our seed at a much better valuation than if we had taken angel terms earlier."
Andrea L.
C, AVL · Batch 2024
"From Southern Italy to the European market in 18 months. The ESA network opened doors that would have taken us years to open alone. The mentors weren't teaching theory — they had already built and sold companies in this space."
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