As part of its extensive efforts to nurture European startups in the development and commercialisation of space-based technologies and applications, ESA has drawn up agreements on preferential rates with two leading cloud-service suppliers and an advance software for engineering supplier.
Scaleway will provide startups with a cloud storage and business services package, while Ellipsis Drive is offering deals on its cloud spatial-data management platform. Idaero Solutions will extend its offering of software speeding up structural design process for satellites, launchers, and space hardware in general.
ESA support to startups
ESA is a major driving force behind the development of the European space industry, creating a customer base and lending support to businesses of all shapes and sizes through its many programmes and initiatives. In Earth observation, innovation and commercialisation are given a boost via ESA Φ-lab and the ESA InCubed programme, while for startups and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) across the wider space industry, ESA has established a network of ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs), ESA Technology Brokers and Φ-labNET.
ESA’s support for entrepreneurial New Space comes not only in the form of funding and coaching, but also in the creation of purpose-driven partnerships that deliver essential business services and commercialisation support. Three such arrangements, led as part of the ESA Partnership Initiative for Commercialisation (EPIC), have now been agreed with premier cloud-service providers Scaleway and Ellipsis Drive as well as software provider Idearo Solutions.
Our new partners
More than 25 000 customers, including more than 700 European startups, use cloud infrastructure and services supplied by French company Scaleway. CEO Damien Lucas explains Scaleway’s offer within the ESA partnership agreement: “Qualifying businesses from ESA’s portfolio will be fast-tracked through the selection process of our Startup Programme. Upon acceptance, they will have access to a wide range of perks, including cloud credits to be spent on our public cloud products, dedicated expert advice and access to our global community. We’re very proud to play our part in helping European space-sector entrepreneurs establish their business systems and we look forward to working with the commercialisation teams in ESA on joint promotional activities.”
Based in the Netherlands, Ellipsis Drive provides a cloud-based B2B tool for ingesting, organising and accessing spatial data, with web-based visualisations and integrated use via a myriad of plug-ins, packages and applications. Ellipsis Drive has hosted data for more than 400 customers to date and currently has around 2,500 users managing and consuming spatial content from its platform. “We see partnering with ESA as a clear win-win scenario, giving startups access to our spatial data management, visualisation and integration service on very favourable terms, while also enabling us to tap into a broader customer community in the space sector,” says Ellipsis Drive’s Rosalie van der Maas. “We’re offering up to 100 GB of free storage for the first year, with substantial discounts for larger plans and subsequent periods.”
Idaero Solutions, a Spanish company and an alumnus of ESA BIC Madrid, will provide free access to its software solution “NaxTo advanced” for structural mechanical analysis to ESA BIC supported startups. CEO Antonio Ena elaborates: “As an alumnus of the ESA BIC Network we are proud to contribute back to the commercial development of entrepreneurs across Europe, having gone through the pathway of ESA incubation ourselves we can recognise the challenges and opportunities for incubatees and newcomers first hand.”
The way forward
Further details about these offers and how to take advantage of them will be disclosed to InCubed and other ESA Φ-lab-supported companies in the near future, and will also be distributed via the ESA BIC and ESA Technology Broker Network.
Michele Castorina, InCubed Programme Manager and Head of the ESA Φ-lab Invest Office, says: “The fact that ESA creates partnerships for the benefit of European start-ups is testimony to the across-the-board helping hand that the Agency provides to the space industry. Cloud storage and spatial data hosting are especially relevant for commercial Earth observation, and I fully expect these services to be a significant asset to InCubed-co-funded businesses as they scale up their operations.”
“Having the right tools for their business infrastructure is a vital stepping stone to market success for early-stage enterprises,” added Joana Kamenova, Commercialisation Officer and lead for EPIC at ESA. “This type of collaboration helps to advance the growth of the European space ecosystem, and we will actively promote Scaleway’s, Ellipsis Drive’s and Idaero Solutions’ offer packages to our networks.”
