ESA Business Incubator News
The ESA BIC Finland business incubator offers a wide range of support to Finnish space startups. As part of an international network, companies can participate in active event cooperation.
The beginning of 2026 has been busy for ESA BIC Finland, the European Space Agency's (ESA) incubator in Finland. Four new companies were selected to develop their space business, and five companies that completed the incubator period graduated from the program. We also participated in the international Space Generation Nordic-Baltic event for young space professionals and students in the field, inspiring participants to develop their own business ideas related to space.
During the Winter Satellite Workshop held in Dipoli, Espoo, the incubator's activities were on display not only in the exhibition area, but also in various conference presentations and SPACECONOMY project events. We had as a guest the director of the entire ESA BIC network, Cornelis Eldering, with whom we had good discussions to further develop the activities both in Finland and in the whole community. One of the tasks of the business incubator is to participate in building networks in the space sector, so the year has started well in this regard.
Aalto University's Startup Center in Otaniemi, Espoo, coordinates ESA BIC Finland's activities in Finland, the University of Vaasa is involved as a partner, and in addition to Helsinki and Espoo, city cooperation is carried out in Tampere and Turku. Companies from several localities have already participated in the program. Last year, the spinoff company MoniCardi from the University of Tampere and Nordic Nano, which is building a production plant for Imatra, joined the program. Startups that develop technological innovations into business operations have also often originated from research institutes, such as the VTT-based SemiQon and Aavuus from the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute. Company introductions are published on our YouTube channel.
During ESA BIC Finland's eight-year history, a total of 43 startup companies have participated in the activities. According to a study conducted in the spring of 2025, these companies had raised EUR 150 million in funding and employed more than 200 people, so ESA BIC activities have played a significant role in the development of Finnish space-related business, as stated in the recent doctoral dissertation of the ESA BIC entrepreneur.
ESA BIC Finland is also constantly looking for new business and community partners who want to join in helping the development of Finnish space companies. Our partners offer, for example, technical or IPR support to companies participating in the incubator or are otherwise involved in the activities. We organize several events annually for both upcoming, current and alumni companies and invite everyone interested in the space business to join. The best way to get information about our events is to follow our LinkedIn page.
The business incubator organises two application rounds in Finland each year, where startups can apply for ESA's program. This requires space-related business activities, under five years of age and business location in Finland. We will offer the selected companies EUR 90,000 in funding together with Business Finland and support for the development of business, technology and networks. The application period for the spring ends on 1 March 2026 and more detailed information about the application can be found on our website Apply now - ESA BIC Finland.
Text: Kaisa Ahonen, ESA BIC Finland
