ESA BIC Finland selects first space innovation to join its incubation programme

Satellite data startup Collective Crunch is the first startup picked in the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre’s annual programme in Finland.

ESA BIC Finland, operating within Aalto University, selects Espoo-based Collective Crunch into its space innovation incubation programme. Overall, up to 10 of the most innovative Finnish startups are hand-picked yearly into the programme that is pivotal to the national New Space Economy’s targets to double the space industry turnover in Finland.

Collective Crunch, located in the Espoo Innovation Garden ecosystem, collects satellite data, especially for climate and location, and refines it to artificial intelligence services for industries. The company also operates in smart forestry and energy.

“I’m very excited about the ESA cooperation, especially around our forest industry product where were are building a service for sawmills and organisations that are buying forests. With ESA’s data we can really take a leap towards scaling the product globally,” says Jarkko Lipponen, Chief Product Officer and one of the founders of Collective Crunch.

ESA’s Business Incubation Centre in Finland has permanent open call with two selection rounds per year

The programme selection panel includes members from ESA, its partners Aalto University, Business Finland, Turku Science park, and Geowise Ltd.

“Space industry is experiencing a big boost globally. New ideas for the space industry, the so-called New Space technologies such as nanosatellites are particularly interesting to us. Some examples of these are Aalto University’s nanosatellite programmes and the startups born out of these like Iceye that just entered into a partnership with ESA,” says Kimmo Isbjörnssund, head of ESA Business Incubation Centre Finland.

Started in late 2017, ESA BIC Finland is part of a growing European network of space incubation centres. Over 500 startups have already graduated from the European programme.

Read more on how to apply at www.esabic.fi.

Relevant links:
www.esabic.fi
www.esa.int
Business Finland, New Space Economy funding

For more information:
Kimmo Isbjörnssund
ESA BIC Finland Manager, Entrepreneurship Advisor
+358 50 4436 855

Image: ESA BIC Finland