CASSINI Business Accelerator Launches 6 Month Program to Boost EU Space Startup Scene - Call for Applications

Plug and Play, Verhaert Masters in Innovation, CIVITTA and Sting have partnered to introduce the CASSINI Business Accelerator (CBA) in collaboration with the European Commission and the EU Agency for the Space Programme. This six-month, equity-free programme is designed to support early-stage and growth-stage founders in the European space tech ecosystem.

The programme is an opportunity to receive hands-on support from a diverse team of experienced mentors and industry experts, as well as access to a prestige network of investors and potential partners.

A startup participating in the six-month-long programme can expect to:

• Refine and validate its business models and value propositions, under the guidance of dedicated coaches and international mentors
• Expand its business opportunities internationally by leveraging the CBA team’s deep-rooted knowledge of local markets, ecosystems, business culture, and investors, across European markets
• Obtain a seed voucher, upon successfully completing the acceleration programme to continue your growth trajectory

The programme is looking for startups and scaleups with products or technologies dedicated to space in both upstream and downstream applications. To meet eligibility criteria, startups must be EU-owned and SME size. A highly ambitious and versatile founding team with relevant experience with proven commercial traction and product-market fit is also required

Verhaert will lead the consortium and manage the project, with a focus on providing learning support for the participants. CIVITTA, Plug and Play, and Sting will provide acceleration support in dedicated locations and markets of interest, as well as mentorship in key areas such as sales and business development planning, investment readiness, and market expansion.

Applications are open until March 31, further information can be found here.

About CASSINI

The CASSINI Space Entrepreneurship Initiative is a European Commission entrepreneurial support mechanism that cuts across all components of EU Space Programme. It offers actions targeted at the full entrepreneurial lifecycle - from idea generation to market entry and growth – and covers both the upstream and downstream sectors.

The CASSINI Business Accelerator is part of the CASSINI initiative. The accelerator will be an intensive six-month initiative offering high-level business and investment coaching, training, events and seed funding. It will aim to improve startup and scale-up companies’ ability to achieve sustained commercial growth.

For more information contact [email protected]