Meet space startups at ESA’s Industry Space Days

ESA’s network of 40 Business Incubation Centres (BICs) in 23 European Participating States provides business support to more than 250 new space-based start-up companies each year.

As part of this support, ESA has reserved dedicated booths in the ISD Exhibition Hall for 32 startups in an area called the ‘ESA BIC Village’. During two days, each startup will share a booth with another startup for one day to present their products, services or innovations to potential customers, investors and business partners.

“At Industry Space Days there will be thousands of pre-planned business meetings, presentations from ESA directors and industry leaders, and forums to share ideas and collaborate on new commercial uses of space. This is an opportunity for startups to introduce themselves to other industry players of all sizes for potential collaboration,” said Jens Kauffmann, Head of ESA’s SME Section which organised the event.

ESA BIC Village startups

Startups pitching at ISD 2026 offer cutting-edge technologies and services in a range of areas in the upstream and downstream markets, or technology transfer.

The ISD website lists all companies with a booth. We asked five of the companies selected for the ESA BIC Village what they offer and who they want to meet:

Alloy Additive – slashes lead times for metal parts

Alloy Additive in Germany, delivers on-demand, custom titanium, nickel, and stainless-steel parts in days instead of months. It utilises advanced TIG-Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) to produce high-performance launcher subcomponents, large-scale structural metal parts, and lightweight pressure vessels optimised for space missions.

“Joining an event like this brings us directly to the centre of the European space business ecosystem. At the ISD, we hope to connect with prime integrators looking to drastically reduce lead times for large-scale metal components, while demonstrating how our 3D-printing technology makes space hardware manufacturing faster, cleaner, and more cost-effective,” said Mehmet Çetinkaya, CEO and Founder at Alloy Additive.

Alloy Additive is looking to connect with launch vehicle manufacturers, satellite and spacecraft manufacturers, space-system integrators, propulsion companies and Tier-1 aerospace suppliers seeking faster and more flexible solutions for large-scale, high-performance metal components.

CompPair Technologies – makes self-repairing composites

CompPair Technologies in Switzerland will showcase its composite materials capable of ultra-fast repair using its HealTech™ technology with applications for space. These materials can repair matrix microcracks through a simple thermal activation process which extends component lifetime and improves reliability.

“Industry Space Days is a key event for connecting with the European space community and strengthening collaborations across the sector,” said Amaël Cohades, CEO of CompPair Technologies. 

“We are developing advanced healable composite technologies that will soon make repairable spacecraft structures possible, improving reliability, durability and sustainability for future space missions. Our projects with ESA, Genesis and First!, are helping to enable a more sustainable and competitive space transportation ecosystem that supports Europe’s vision of reusable, low-impact space infrastructure.”

Marine Weather Intelligence – enhances safety at sea

Marine Weather Intelligence (MWI) in France is a deeptech startup that uses artificial intelligence to optimise routings, improve weather forecasts and enhance safety at sea. Its solutions serve maritime professionals across the industry, enabling smarter, safer navigation while contributing to reduce the carbon footprint of maritime activities.

MWI will showcase its solutions, focusing on its ‘proximity alert system’, designed to enhance safety at sea by anticipating hazardous weather phenomena in an increasingly uncertain climate.

“At ISD we hope to explore data partnerships with ESA and connect with potential clients and fellow ESA BIC startups, as well as investors interested in space, deeptech, artificial intelligence and maritime topics,” said Basile Rochut, CTO and Co-founder at Marine Weather Intelligence.

Nautilus – enabling self-driving satellites

Nautilus is a startup from Italy developing autonomous navigation and guidance technology for satellites, while providing mission design and flight dynamics services for Earth-orbiting and deep-space missions.

“At the ISD we hope to showcase the capabilities and features of EON, our onboard autonomous navigation and collision avoidance flight unit. EON interfaces with NEMO, our highly automated flight dynamics software which is ground-based and supports a wide range of missions from low Earth orbit to deep space. The two products can be interfaced smoothly to facilitate the management of satellite fleets,” said Mattia Pugliatti, Head of On-Board Systems at Nautilus.

Nautilus attended ISD 2024. “That first experience helped us understand the event’s format and connect with key players in the European space ecosystem. This year we’re returning with a more targeted plan for partnerships and visibility.

“We would like to meet mainly satellite integrators and potential customers interested in the technologies behind EON and NEMO. We would also be interested in getting in touch with possible early adopters who would be interested in using EON in their daily operations,” he added.

ARKai – uses satellites to help keep dams safe

Latvia-based ARKai combines satellite-derived ground deformation data (InSAR), existing in-situ sensors, and operational records to help dam and hydropower operators identify risks earlier.

The company is preparing its first pilot projects and developing a dam-monitoring platform that integrates multiple data sources into one system. This helps operators detect movement, distinguish seasonal behaviour from hazardous change, and produce compliance-ready risk intelligence.

“Dam owners and operators have expressed significant interest in our technology which is transferable to railways, mining and other critical infrastructure. At ISD, we hope to meet ESA technology and research partners, especially dam operators interested in pilot projects in Europe and Asia,” said Alberto Manuel García Navarro, CTO and co-founder of ARKai.

Register for ISD 2026

For further information and to register to attend this event, visit the Industry Space Days website.