EIC T2M Venture Building runs Space-focused Tech Demo Day to push Pathfinder and Transition projects toward market

Brussels, December 14th 2023

Summary

›The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme held a Space systems and technologies Tech Demo Day in November to help EIC Pathfinder and Transition projects test commercial potential.
›Tech Demo Days combine a training workshop, one-to-one expert sessions and a public pitch panel to give teams iterative feedback on value proposition and market fit.
›Two projects highlighted were MEESST, a magnetic shielding and thermal management system for re-entry, and WiPTherm, a wireless energy transfer concept for CubeSats.
›Selected teams advance to an Opportunities Exploration phase with business feasibility guidance and then to team building and on demand venture support.
›Experts praised early market orientation but warned that space deep tech projects face long time horizons and need realistic paths to customers, regulation and financing.

EIC Tech Demo Day brings space research projects into a market-oriented spotlight

In November the European Innovation Council Tech to Market Venture Building Programme ran its final Tech Demo Day of the year focused on Space systems and technologies. The one-day event gathered EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition beneficiaries and a mixed panel of market, technology and business experts. The stated aim was to help researchers explore and refine their projects value proposition and to nudge promising research results toward early commercialisation.

What Tech Demo Days are and how they work

Three-step Tech Demo Day format:The Tech Demo Day phase of the Venture Building Programme consists of a training workshop where teams receive initial feedback on their presentations, an individual session with an expert to develop that feedback and the Tech Demo Day itself where teams pitch to a panel of experts with diverse backgrounds. The design is iterative so teams can improve pitches and business framing before facing a wider panel.

Programme phase	Core activities	Objective
Training workshop	Presentation coaching and initial feedback	Improve clarity of value proposition and pitch
One-to-one expert session	Tailored feedback and development of suggestions	Address technical or market-specific gaps
Tech Demo Day	Pitch to multidisciplinary expert panel	Validate commercial potential and get strategic guidance

Where Tech Demo Days sit in the Venture Building journey:Tech Demo Days are the entry point into the Venture Building Programme. Successful teams can move to Opportunities Exploration, then to Team Creation and finally access Venture Support Services. The programme aims to take teams from idea validation toward actual venture creation using a mix of coaching, talent scouting and on demand advisory services.

Projects on stage: MEESST and WiPTherm

MEESST (KU Leuven)

Represented by Andrea Lani of KU Leuven, MEESST presents magnetic shielding as a solution for critical problems during atmospheric re-entry and entry phases. The project targets high surface thermal loads, radio communication blackout and potential cosmic radiation exposure for astronauts. MEESST proposes a full chain solution combining novel software models and hardware to predict and mitigate heat fluxes and to reduce radio blackout during re-entry.

Re-entry challenges and the proposed approach:Atmospheric re-entry creates extreme thermal loads and ionised plasma that can block radio communications. MEESST aims to combine magnetic shielding hardware and predictive software to reduce surface heating and preserve communications. This is an example of coupling physical mitigation technologies with modelling tools to manage mission risk and survivability.

WiPTherm (University of Porto)

Represented by Ana Pires of University of Porto, WiPTherm addresses energy constraints for the rapidly growing CubeSat market, especially for deep space missions. The project proposes a wireless energy transfer system to recharge onboard energy storage without heavy deployable wiring. The pitch emphasises an easily deployable method that would be clean and cost effective compared with some mechanical alternatives.

Wireless power transfer for CubeSats explained:Wireless energy transfer in space covers methods from inductive coupling to beamed power. For small satellites such as CubeSats the main appeal is reducing mass and mechanical complexity of deployable arrays and connections. Technical trade offs include conversion efficiency, pointing and alignment in orbit, safety and regulatory issues around beamed energy, and the energy density needed for mission profiles beyond low Earth orbit.

Voices from participants

Project representatives welcomed the structured feedback approach. Andrea Lani valued the mix of technology and business expertise and the two stage feedback that allowed refinement before the main event. He said participation would help his team better understand preliminary steps to valorise the technology and approach the market. Ana Pires highlighted that expert inputs helped them assess market dynamics, regulatory considerations and collaboration opportunities. She said expert critique sharpened their project maturity and helped anticipate practical challenges.

Programme manager perspective:Stela Tkatchova, EIC Programme Manager for Space systems and technologies, described the T2M initiative as preparing innovators for early commercialisation. She said projects are already able to begin engaging potential commercial customers, suppliers and strategic partners who can help develop products and services that are easier to commercialise.

Expert panel assessment and criticisms

Panel members noted the value of initiating market conversations early but also flagged the long horizons and systemic hurdles typical of space deep tech. Experts found the presented technologies interesting and relevant to many space sector challenges. They emphasised that market orientation can surface the changes needed to make a product fit market needs earlier in development.

Comments from the panel:Claude Rousseau of Northern Sky Research said the programme helps teams discuss market orientation earlier which allows adjustments to match market needs sooner. Noelia Sánchez Ortiz, co-founder at Arribes Enlightnment, praised the diversity of expert backgrounds that provided complementary perspectives and noted the high quality of the technologies and the researchers willingness to receive feedback.

What happens next for participating teams

Both MEESST and WiPTherm progressed to the Opportunities Exploration phase. In that phase teams work with a panel of business-savvy experts on feasibility. The aim is to validate market attractiveness, corporate interest, and whether the team has the right expertise. Later phases of the programme offer talent scouting for team creation and on demand venture support covering IP, finance, HR and other needs.

Next phase	Main activities	Expected outcome
Opportunities Exploration	Feasibility studies, market validation, corporate outreach	Recommendations for product market fit and go to market pathways
Team creation	Recruitment, entrepreneurs in residence, talent brokerage	Filling critical business and execution roles
Venture support services	Advisory on IP, finance, branding, HR and legal	Preparation for spin-off creation, investor outreach and scaling

Eligibility and how teams are selected

The Venture Building Programme is designed for beneficiaries of EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition projects. The service is presented as free to EIC beneficiaries. Selection for Tech Demo Days occurs by thematic area grouping. The programme signals support from early identification of business ideas through to venture creation. Teams coming from research institutions are recommended to involve their Technology Transfer Office to help with IP and commercialisation pathways.

Thematic areas used to group applicants	Examples
Space systems and technologies	Re-entry solutions, CubeSat subsystems, in-space power and servicing
Other eligible themes across the programme	Advanced materials, AI, energy systems, health biotech, mobility, quantum tech and more

Context and critical perspective

Venture building programmes that bridge research and market are common across the EU innovation landscape. The EIC offering follows that trend but the space sector presents specific challenges. Time to market can be long and development costs are high. Demonstrating technology under relevant conditions often needs access to orbital or suborbital testing which is expensive. Regulatory approvals and standards are evolving and can be a bottleneck for approaches such as wireless power beaming.

Early market engagement and iterative feedback are useful and necessary. They do not by themselves solve capital intensity, regulatory complexity or the need for industrial partnerships. For deep tech teams the path from a promising demonstration to a revenue generating venture requires realistic roadmaps for technology maturation, access to demonstration infrastructures, credible customer commitments and experienced commercial talent. Programmes like T2M can help with some of these pieces but participants and funders should be cautious about assuming rapid or straightforward market traction.

Practical next steps for interested EIC beneficiaries

EIC-funded researchers who wish to participate in future Tech Demo Days are encouraged to check the EIC Tech to Market pages for calls and to follow the application process. For questions teams can use the EIC Community helpdesk and select the EIC T2M Venture Building Programme as the subject. Engaging the institutional Technology Transfer Office early is recommended so that IP, spin-off policy and institutional support are aligned with the venture building process.

This article draws on public EIC Community reporting of the November Tech Demo Day and on participant and expert comments published by the EIC. The EIC provides the Venture Building Programme as part of its Tech to Market services to help translate Pathfinder and Transition research into potential startups and marketable innovations.

Disclaimer: The information is provided for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or any other organisation.