ESA title

We invest

We help your transformative business ideas become a reality in the market

Our aim is to fill the gap between your bright business idea and the market. We provide you with equity and IPR-free co-funding (up to 80%), along with technical and business support, ultimately promoting you and your idea to succeed among investors and in the market.

We invest in high-risk/high-reward initiatives and act not as an end customer, but much more like your partner.

We are open-minded in our approach to your compelling and innovative idea, linking it with other ideas or putting you in contact with the right people within the Φ-lab community to increase your chances of success.

In this role, ESA Φ-lab behaves as a de-risking partner and facilitator by stimulating competitive growth among economic operators.

We operate through three pillars, the Φ-lab Community, the Φ-lab InCubed Commercialisation Programme and the Invest Actions.

01

Φ-lab Community

Fosters industry-to-industry and industry-to-academia synergies and cooperation to accelerate the adoption of innovative business solutions.

Community and partnerships

02

InCubed Commercialisation Programme

InCubed offers Private Public Partnership investment opportunities to support and develop innovative and commercially successful products and services in Earth observation. It encourages high-risk/high-reward developments by mitigating their technical and financial risks.

225M€
fund size, subscribed by 21 countries
140
140 activities in the pipeline
100
About 100 co-funded activities at 62% average (max 80%)

Zero-equity and Zero-IPR co-funding (max 80%)

Personalised technical and commercial guidance

ESA stamp of credibility

Privileged access to commercial services enabling your development

Access to ESA EO facilities and Φ-lab community


InCubed in details

What is it

An industry-led commercial programme that prioritises business over technology


Focus

Developing EO innovative and commercially successful products and services


Scope

Anything from full satellites, end-to-end missions, flight hardware and software to EO data, value-added services and innovative business models


When

A permanently open call


Who

A partnership between industry, ESA and National Delegations

03

Invest Action

A series of dedicated action to accelerate access to risk capital for innovation risk funding, dramatically accelerate your innovation.

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