In the frame of the SpaceUp project, 10 European start-ups will be granted funding to attend one of the six Space Academy which will be organized in various locations in Europe until 2021.
Aviospace Bremen e.V., located in one of NEREUS member regions and founding member of the network, is leading the SPACE-UP project, funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Together with 9 consortium members with expertise in different entrepreneurship areas, located in 5 different countries, Aviospace Bremen e.V. will provide expertise to 10 start-ups throughout the project’s lifetime.
NEREUS offers a dissemination platform for the different opportunities targeting European start-ups in the next 4 years.
Objectives of the project: what can you expect?
Space-Up aims at fast-tracking Europe’s innovative start-ups in and around the space sector on the road of maturity. The project’s key features are 6 Space Academies across Europe, complementing ESA BICs in their work.
Before and during these Space Academies, start-ups and entrepreneurs in the acceleration phase are mentored and coached, some to provide successful pitches. Matchmaking with business angels, crowd funders, investors, human resource specialists and CEOs from corporates is strongly promoted.
With this format, the consortium intends to promote:
- facilitating access to finance through outreach and networking;
- Maximising opportunities offered by the SME instrument for space;
- Assisting the development of viable business cases;
- Accompanying start-ups in commercial phases.
The project will establish best practice recommendations for start-ups and SMEs and it will explore the sustainability of offering Space Academies beyond 2021.
Next steps?
The first 2 Space Academies will take place:
- 3-6 June 2019 (Finland): EBAN Annual Congress (with Arctic 15)
- 19-21 November 2019 (Germany): Bremen Space Expo
