EIC and OHB host Corporate Days to link nine EIC-backed space start-ups with a major European prime

Brussels, November 21st 2025

Summary

›On 20–21 November 2025 the European Innovation Council and OHB organised a Corporate Day that brought nine EIC-backed space start-ups to OHB headquarters for pitching and one-to-one technical meetings.
›Start-ups presented technologies spanning AI satellite autonomy, inflatable re-entry shields, water based thrusters, plasma brake deorbiting, in-space manufacturing and sovereign avionics.
›OHB reported accelerated access to pre-vetted technologies and already opened follow-up talks across R&D, procurement and future programmes.
›The activity forms part of the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme and used targeted coaching, pitch dry runs and post-event support to maximise deal-readiness.

EIC and OHB convene corporate matchmaking to accelerate European space technology

On 20 and 21 November 2025 the European Innovation Council partnered with OHB, a major independent European space and satellite company, to run a focused acceleration activity. Nine EIC-supported start-ups were selected, coached by the EIC and introduced to OHB senior decision makers and technical experts. The objective was to move quickly from technology scouting to concrete collaboration pathways such as pilots, co-development projects and supplier relationships.

Event format and participants

The two-day activity combined an in-person pitching session with structured one-to-one meetings between start-up teams and OHB specialists from research and development, procurement, propulsion, electronics and attitude control systems, ground segments and business development. OHB senior representatives present included Marco Fuchs, CEO, Dr. Wagner Kristina, CTO, Egbert Jan van der Veen and Niklas Voigt. The EIC delegation was led by Stella Tkatchova, EIC Programme Manager for Space Systems & Technologies and head of the EIC at the activity.

Stella Tkatchova on the programme:“The Corporate Days are not just about matchmaking and pitching technological innovations but also about nurturing and growing the synergies between different projects. We had projects from the accelerator and transition phases, especially within the space debris and enabling space technologies pillars.”

The nine EIC-backed start-ups and their technologies

The cohort showcased diverse technologies aimed at operational resilience, sustainability and sovereignty in European space activities. The table below captures the companies that presented at OHB and the core offerings they described. Some technical and market claims below are company reported and have not been independently verified.

Company	Country	Technology or offering	Notes and caveats
AIKO SRL	Italy	AI-powered satellite autonomy and ground automation. Deep learning algorithms for in-orbit operations and robotic systems.	Described as Europe’s largest automation provider with 600+ automated satellites. This is a company claim and should be independently checked.
ALDORIA	France	Optical sensor network and Space Situational Awareness platform to catalogue and track small debris. Aim to build an independent catalogue of 100,000+ objects.	Claims a multi-source orbital information system. Space surveillance capabilities depend on sensor coverage and data fusion with other sources.
ATMOS SPACE CARGO	Germany	Inflatable heat shield and reusable capsule for sustainable re-entry and in-space logistics.	Inflatable thermal protection is an emerging approach to reduce mass. Technical maturity and reusability metrics vary by design and flight history.
AURORA PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES	Finland	Compact water-based resistojet thrusters and a patented plasma brake for deorbiting and propulsion.	Plasma brake is a passive deorbiting concept that interacts with ionospheric plasma. Company has flight heritage through smallsat missions.
DAWN AEROSPACE	Netherlands	Modular, green propulsion using non-toxic propellants and enabling in-space refuelling and docking.	Described as flight-proven. In-space refuelling and docking are complex and driven by standards and interface agreements.
DCUBED	Germany	Lightweight in-space manufacturing and deployment technologies including actuators and deployable solar arrays.	Addresses orbital assembly and on-orbit deployment constraints. Manufacturing in orbit remains an area under active demonstration.
PLASMOTION	Germany	Automated JETPEP plasma-based finishing for precision metal part finishing to support additive manufacturing.	Offers a production-oriented finishing solution to reduce lead times and costs for space-qualified metal parts.
SPACEPHARMA	Israel	Microgravity production platform for biologics, including monoclonal antibodies manufactured in microgravity.	Microgravity biomanufacturing shows promise for specific processes but regulatory and cost pathways for pharmaceuticals remain challenging.
SPHERICAL SYSTEMS	Netherlands	Full-stack satellite avionics built on a sovereign silicon platform. Compact, software-configurable power and control systems.	Sovereign silicon is strategically important for supply chain resilience. Certification and radiation hardness are critical milestones.

Selected technical concepts explained

Plasma brake:A plasma brake is a deorbiting device that uses long conductive tethers or charged surfaces to increase drag through interaction with the ionospheric plasma and Earth's magnetic field. It is attractive for small satellites because it can lower end-of-life altitudes without carrying large propellant reserves. Performance depends strongly on orbital altitude, local plasma density and tether survivability against micrometeoroids and debris.

Inflatable heat shields:Inflatable thermal protection systems expand a low mass structure before atmospheric entry to increase surface area and reduce peak heating on re-entry. They can enable lighter, lower-cost return capsules or cargo drops, but they require robust materials, reliable deployment mechanisms and verification under relevant thermal loads.

In-space manufacturing:In-space manufacturing covers techniques to produce or assemble structures in orbit, from 3D printing to robotic assembly. The approach reduces the need for large shrouds and heavy fairings at launch but faces constraints such as power availability, material feedstocks and qualification of produced parts for space environments.

AI-powered satellite autonomy and AOCS:AI onboard can support anomaly detection, scheduling, autonomous manoeuvres and payload processing. AOCS stands for Attitude and Orbit Control System and covers sensors and actuators that keep a spacecraft oriented and on its required trajectory. Integrating AI into AOCS improves responsiveness but raises certification and safety questions for critical missions.

Sovereign silicon for avionics:Sovereign silicon refers to microchips designed and produced within a trusted supply base to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. In avionics and space systems this supports resilience against supply chain shocks and export restrictions. Delivering sovereign silicon requires long lead times and specialised fabs, plus rigorous radiation hardening and testing.

Benefits reported by start-ups and OHB

Start-ups described the Corporate Day as a rare opportunity for direct access to decision makers at a major space prime. The structured preparation from the EIC was intended to make conversations technical and integration-focused from the first meeting. OHB said the activity gave them rapid access to pre-vetted technologies aligned with their strategic priorities and allowed discussions to progress quickly from concept to integration planning.

Start-up perspective example:Pekka Blomberg, CEO of Aurora Propulsion Technologies, said meeting OHB representatives face-to-face was extremely valuable and that discussions had produced a clear plan for next steps and possible collaboration.

OHB perspective example:Egbert van der Veen, Technology & Innovation Manager at OHB, said the activity helped diversify their supply chain and build relationships potentially leading to suppliers and R&D partnerships. He noted that early discussions had already started with several promising start-ups.

How the EIC prepared participants

Selected start-ups received targeted coaching, mentoring and pitch dry runs from the EIC before the Corporate Day. The event included formal presentations followed by structured one-to-one technical meetings with OHB specialists in propulsion, electronics and AOCS, ground segments and procurement. The EIC also commits to post-event follow-up support aimed at turning initial meetings into pilots, procurement or investment conversations.

About the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme and BAS context

Purpose of the Corporate Partnership Programme:The EIC Corporate Partnership Programme is designed to connect EIC-backed innovators with large corporate partners to accelerate commercial adoption, pilot projects and co-development. The activity with OHB was delivered under this programme and is part of the EIC Business Acceleration Services.

Programme scale and track record:According to EIC materials referenced at the event, since 2017 the Corporate Partnership Programme has run around 80 initiatives with over 120 corporate partners. The BAS ecosystem provides scouting, coaching and matchmaking services and reports thousands of one-to-one meetings and multiple follow-up deals across previous initiatives.

Why this matters for European space policy and industry

The activity touches several EU priorities in space technology: increasing industrial autonomy, accelerating sustainable mission designs, and improving space situational awareness. For Europe to compete in satellite systems and services it needs faster downstream adoption paths for deep tech developed by start-ups and research teams. Corporate Days are one instrument to bridge the typical gap between lab demonstration and industrial integration.

That said, corporate matchmaking is a necessary but not sufficient condition for scale. Integration into flight hardware, procurement cycles, certification timelines and export control or ITAR-like considerations remain significant commercial and technical hurdles. Pilot projects can take months or years to convert into recurring revenue, especially in sectors with strict safety and qualification regimes.

Risks and caveats

Public accounts and company claims quoted during the Corporate Day include ambitious cataloguing targets, customer counts and product readiness levels. Readers should treat such figures as company reported unless backed by independent verification. Early meetings and expressions of interest do not equate to contracts. The usual barriers remain: systems integration, regulatory approvals, quality and supply chain certification, and capital for scale.

Next steps and how to follow

The EIC offers open applications for corporate partners to join the Corporate Partnership Programme and runs ongoing BAS calls and newsletters for EIC awardees. Start-ups and corporates interested in this type of engagement can follow EIC Business Acceleration Services channels, join the EIC Community Platform and subscribe to the EIC BAS newsletter to receive invitations and open calls for future Corporate and Multi-Corporate Days.

For now the OHB Corporate Day is an example of a targeted approach to sourcing and accelerating space technologies within Europe. The true test will be whether the encounters reported during the two days translate into funded pilots, procurement contracts and long term supplier relationships that shift capabilities from prototypes to repeated missions.

Contacts and resources

For more information see the European Innovation Council Business Acceleration Services pages and the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme materials. Corporates can apply to the programme through the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme Call. EIC beneficiaries can find BAS open calls and partner services via the EIC Community Platform.

Annaida closes oversubscribed pre-Series A to commercialise micro‑MRS EmbryoSpin

2025-07-21Read Now

EIC Corporate Day with Bayer: Ten agritech start-ups pitched soil, biotech and precision tools as Brussels-backed acceleration meets corporate R&D

2025-11-05Read Now

EIC Accelerator awards €285 million to 42 deep tech start-ups in highly competitive round

2024-02-28Read Now

EIC opens €1.7 billion 2022 funding round to push deep tech from lab to market

2022-03-01Read Now