CNES Launches Acceleration Program for European Space Start-ups

PARIS (CNES PR) — CNES, the National Space Studies Center, and the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich, are joining forces to launch SpaceFounders, the Franco-German accelerator dedicated to European space tech start-ups whose ambition is to help the best become the world champions of the next decade.

The SpaceFounders program, ultra-intensive and ultra-high quality, takes place over ten weeks, face-to-face, with meetings and workshops in Toulouse and Munich, European capitals of aeronautics and space, and online, with conferences and mentoring sessions. The program concludes with two “Demo Days” in Paris and Berlin, allowing start-ups to meet a wide range of venture capital funds, European Family Offices and public funders, and thus obtain the funding necessary for their development.

The selected startups benefit from the powerful network and infrastructure of CNES as well as those of the University of the Bundeswehr. They also benefit from the support of exclusive partners such as the ESA (European Space Agency) and the DLR (German Aerospace Center). SpaceFounders relies on a unique community of more than a hundred mentors who are among the very first players in the European space and digital ecosystem. Thanks to these, start-ups benefit from personalized support in technical, business and financial fields.

The SpaceFounders program is divided into three phases.

• A first phase “SCAN” focuses on a diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of each start-up and the development of an action plan with business and technical experts;
• The second “BOOST” step aims to accelerate the startup, in particular by putting in touch with customers, partners, suppliers and key resources;
• The last “FUND” phase is that of fundraising, including preparation sessions for the investor meetings of the Demo Days.

For its first promotion, SpaceFounders selects 10 start-ups, among the best in Europe. Applications are open until June 13, 2021, for an announcement of the winners in early July. The entrepreneurs then meet in Munich at the beginning of September for the launch of the program which will end with the SpaceFounders Demo Day in Paris on November 18.

On the occasion of this launch, Philippe Baptiste, President of CNES, declared: “I am particularly happy to announce the launch of SpaceFounders, which fits perfectly into the CNES roadmap: European cooperation, support for innovation, active support for the space tech ecosystem and the emergence of tomorrow’s champions. With our German partners, we will put the best of our talents at the service of this great project ”.

Registration and information:
https://www.spacefounders.eu/