Are you an SBIC community member? Get link from Slack to reserve your place!

Will you get involved to benefit from themed sessions?  These events are open to all and will be relevant for space (or non-space) startups or later stage companies!

About the format: A new event series launched in 2026 – the deep-dive sessions – that will take place sporadically throughout the year. These sessions are designed to be in-depth and interactive, offering multiple viewpoints. Each event consists of a short presentation followed by time for extended discussion, with time for you to ask the experts any questions that are relevant to the stage of your startup and your own experience. Each deep dive will have a themed topic. Other recurring events organised by SBIC include masterclasses & partner-in-residence sessions (every month), which are all free for the SBIC space business audience to join. If you have an idea for a theme or topic, please get in touch. Stay updated via the events newsletter.

Gain understanding of space business nuances

To understand the space market, you have to see it from all its angles. How to build your business varies whether you are bringing technology up to orbit, leveraging space data to service Earth or navigating the landscape of ESA projects. Space can be daunting, especially for those entering the market for the first time.

This deep-dive session taking place at SBIC Noordwijk will be delving into the ins and outs of doing business with space. Experts in the industry are brought together to present three different perspectives to give you guidance and insights to take your next or your first step! The sessions will all include a short presentation from the speaker of their background and topic followed by time for a lively discussion.

What you will learn

During this deep-dive session, three experts will approach the topic of talent from different angles:

Upstream:

• For those building hardware and other solutions that will venture out into orbit and beyond. You will learn how to strike the balance between building and selling, validation of your technology to raise its technology readiness level (TRL) and how to choose the best commercial routes.

Downstream:

• For those leveraging satellite data and services to create value on Earth. You will learn how to commercialise downstream in a rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, how to prioritise the right market with businesses, customers or government (B2B, B2C, B2G) and how to scale a downstream business.

Working with ESA:

• For those looking to collaborate with this key industry player, but that may be struggling to navigate the steps to get there. Learn some tips and tricks to improve your chances of winning ESA contracts, how to better identify ESA’s needs and opportunities, and best practices to build a good consortium.

Three perspectives on doing business with space for upstream, downstream and insights on working with the European Space Agency.

What to expect

Join to learn from the differing perspectives, which will be presented in parallel. Participants will attend all presentations, which are designed to be in-depth and interactive offering multiple viewpoints. Each session consists of a short presentation followed by time for extended discussions. Ask the expert any questions about the topic that are relevant to your startup and your own experience. Outline:

• Welcome and information starting at 14:00
  
• 1 theme in 3 perspectives in parallel (30 minutes):
  • 10 min presentations
  • 20 min Q&A with audience
• Each topic is presented 3 times:
  • Participant rotation to get all perspectives
• Event ends at 16:00

There will be a short 5–10 minute break following each topic to allow for participants to move to the next presentation. Groups will be allocated at the start of the deep-dive session at SBIC Noordwijk. The event* is scheduled to last 2 hours.

Reserve your place at this deep-dive session to get practical insights relevant for space startups – who may well be considering joining ESA BIC to develop their business idea – or later stage companies.

GOOD TO KNOW:
The event is open to all. It is free for ESA BIC startups and SBIC community members (check the events Slack channel for your link). If you are not in our community yet, sign up for membership here! Students can get 50% discount when registering for this event. Get in touch using your institution’s email address.

View upcoming events happening at SBIC Noordwijk >>

The post Join deep-dive session at SBIC focusing on entry strategies for opportunities across the space sector (date: 8 Sep) appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

The following is an extract of news from the Holland High Tech website

The call, which opened in Jan 2026, invited high-tech entrepreneurs to work together with research organisations on innovative projects for dual-use applications within the Netherlands focus areas of space, quantum and smart materials, as defined in the Defence Strategy for Industry and Innovation 2025–2029. The SME Defence Call was developed by Holland High Tech in collaboration with the Ministries of Defence and Economic Affairs. It supports industrial research that not only strengthens the knowledge base and R&D capacity of SMEs, but also contributes to the technological autonomy and security of the Netherlands and Europe.

Gerard van der Zon, operational director Holland High Tech, comments: “The selected projects from the very first SME Defence Call demonstrate the innovative power present within the Dutch high-tech SME sector. With solutions in areas including space, quantum and smart materials, these consortia contribute to both technological innovation and the resilience and strategic autonomy of the Netherlands and Europe.”

He continues, “It is precisely the collaboration between SMEs, knowledge institutions, Holland High Tech and the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and Defence that makes it possible to develop and apply promising dual-use technologies more quickly.”

SME DEFENCE CALL: Since the call opened earlier this year, 40 project proposals were received. Following a thorough evaluation, 24 of these projects progressed to phase 2. Those projects were required to submit a detailed project plan, which was also expertly evaluated and assessed. As a result, a total of 11 projects will now receive financial support from the SME Defence Call 2025. Discover more

Technological innovation and strategic autonomy

The chosen projects show the strength and diversity of the Dutch innovation landscape. Topics range from quantum technology and space to smart materials, photonics radar-absorbing coatings and additive manufacturing. Holland High Tech is impressed by the high level, the technological quality and the social relevance of the submitted proposals.

One of the space startups to be selected is Spherical Systems – an alumnus of ESA BIC Noordwijk, as well as the Ignition Programme – working together with NLR on the project RASSS (radiation assured semiconductors for strategic autonomy). A second of the space startups to be selected in the call is Dunedain Space working with Radboud University on project Shadow.

HIGHLIGHTED SPACE PROJECTS

• Project Shadow: Dunedain Space in collaboration with Radboud University
  Project SHADOW develops high-speed optical sensing technology to improve Space Situational Awareness (SSA). Rather than detecting objects by reflected light, SHADOW uses the occultation of stars caused by passing objects. This novel method enhances detection and tracking of satellites and space debris. Better (actionable) information can be gained in both Defense and Civil applications to prevent collisions and obtain better intel on location and specifics of (yet) unknown satellites.

• Project RASSS: Spherical Systems in collaboration with NLR
  The RASSS project develops and validates a radiation-aware semiconductor design workflow for defense and aerospace applications. Automation and radiation modeling are integrated into early design phases. Radiation test structures are fabricated on European foundry processes and tested, after which results are fed back to improve modeling and design architecture.

View full list of selected projects via the Holland High Tech website

ESA & DUAL-USE: Dual-use strategies extend the applicability of space technologies beyond civilian use towards security applications and you can read more about this topic in the ESA ScaleUp Book. Discover more

Open call for startups with space business ideas to apply to ESA BIC Noordwijk:

The post ESA BIC alumnus Spherical and ESA Phi-Lab’s Dunedain in consortia with dual-use space applications selected for SME Defence Call appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

Read the full press release via the Revolv Space website

First mission to geostationary orbit

The new agreement will see Revolv Space providing solar array drive assembly (SADA) units for several geostationary in-orbit servicers manufactured by Infinite Orbits. The contract marks Revolv Space’s first mission to geostationary orbit (GEO) and its entry into the in-orbit servicing market, a huge move beyond the low Earth orbit (LEO) CubeSat heritage where the company counts more than 20 units already launched in orbit across four missions and several units already delivered, waiting for integration and launch.

Under this contract, Revolv Space is currently providing three engineering models and four flight models of an advanced version of SARA, named SARA-Pro, suitable for microsatellites and designed to withstand a more challenging radiation environment. This initial contract is anticipated to enable future collaborations between both companies in future missions.

New orbit, new class of mission: from LEO to GEO

Operating an inspection satellite in GEO (at roughly 36,000 km) is a different game from LEO. The platforms must withstand a far harsher radiation environment over a long design life. Proximity operation with GEO assets demand continuous, uninterrupted power generation, as a loss of power mid-manoeuvre introduces collision risks during the manoeuver.

This collaboration is Revolv Space’s next strategic move, answering the challenge of bringing proven credibility to the high-stakes GEO market. By supplying SADA units, Revolv Space enables Infinite Orbits to maximise orbit average power (OAP), providing critical, uninterrupted power generation capabilities required for autonomous manoeuvres.

Enabling power generation for autonomous manoeuvres

The SADA version being supplied under this contract, named SARA-Pro, is engineered to combine three features that rarely coexist: a compact microsat-class form factor, high power transfer capabilities needed to keep payloads running continuously, and radiation-tolerance capabilities to survive the GEO environment. SARA-Pro builds upon the already qualified version of SARA-Nano, currently being delivered to another commercial customer, and the lessons learned during its in-orbit demonstration of SARA, successfully concluded in early 2025. In addition, as part of the contract, Revolv Space will perform a full GEO qualification campaign, including vibration, thermal vacuum and electromagnetic compatibility tests.

“Going to GEO with Infinite Orbits is a turning point for Revolv Space – and truly exciting! It validates our ability to take what we have proven in LEO and apply it to one of the most demanding mission profiles,” comments Filippo Oggionni, co-founder and CCO of Revolv Space. “In-orbit servicing is where space infrastructure is heading, and we intend to be the power-subsystem partner satellite integrators like Infinite Orbits can rely on.”

View the full press release via the Revolv Space website

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Contact:

• Revolv Space – Filippo Oggionni (filippo@revolvspace.com)

About Revolv Space
Revolv Space empowers small satellites with “superpowers” by providing high-performance, cost-effective mechanisms and turnkey power systems. Specialising in agile, low-lead-time solutions, the company offers a vertical power generation product range, including solar array drive assemblies, deployment hinges and solar arrays. Revolv Space maximises power generation and payload availability for Earth observation, communications and scientific research. revolvspace.com

About Infinite Orbits
Founded in 2017, Infinite Orbits is a European provider of GEO in-orbit services including space-based SSA, inspection and life-extension. The company develops small GEO satellites tailored for in-orbit servicing missions and operates internationally from its headquarters in Toulouse, with affiliates in Singapore, the US, Spain, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. infiniteorbits.io

Open call for startups with space business ideas to apply to ESA BIC Noordwijk:

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