Skip to main content
Story 08 July 2019
Public

Stories: The EIC pilot goes to space

stories-eicpilotspace
Ana Luisa Pinho

The European Innovation Council (EIC) Pilot has been funding multiple projects dealing with New Space technologies over the years. Aerospace, Internet of Things, telecommunications, Earth observation, agriculture: these are only few of the domains that the funded companies are revolutionising thanks to their disruptive work.

Here there is an overview of some of these innovation actors and their – literally – out-of-this-planet technologies. 

 

Arralis 

Arralis products are now used in both terrestrial and space environments and its partners include the world’s largest aerospace, automotive, defence and communications companies.

Arralis designs are highly focused on the development and production of extremely complex, integrated microwave assemblies including antennae, up and down-converters and demodulators. The high-resolution radars and antennas Arralis produces find application in several domains such as autonomous vehicles, satellite communications, helicopter landing, space science and military defence.

The company has received a Phase 2 grant from the EIC pilot SME Instrument of 1.119.947€ in 2015.

View Arralis' information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

Iceye 

Iceye provides easy and flexible access to Earth observation data. Its satellite constellation provides the users with accurate images of the desired location updated every hour. Furthermore, it makes it possible to look at the planet’s surface no matter the weather or lightning conditions. Iceye’s technology has now found diverse applications on both land and sea. Pipeline monitoring, flood mapping, prevention of illegal fishing, oil spill monitoring and coastal security are just few of the domains that benefit from Iceye’s innovation.

The company has received a Phase 2 grant from the EIC pilot SME Instrument of 2.434.005 € in 2015.

View Iceye's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

Orbex Space 

Orbex is a UK-based spaceflight company that is innovating the satellite launch market in Europe and beyond. The company is developing a completely new orbital launch vehicle, called Prime, to deliver small satellites into Earth’s orbit. Thanks to its work, Orbex has made Prime one of the most advanced, low carbon, high performance micro-launch vehicle in the world. With former NASA professionals, the company has received funding from the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the EIC pilot.  

The company has received Phase 1 and Phase 2 grants from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2017 and 2018.

View Orbex's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

PLD Space 

PLD Space has proven to be Europe's first privately developed liquid rocket engine for small and reusable launchers. Based in Spain, the company that is developing launcher technologies to provide suborbital and orbital commercial launch services, dedicated to small payloads and small satellites. 

The company has received a Phase 1 grant in 2017 and Phase 2 grant of 1.954.664€ from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2018.

View PLD Space's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

Phasor Solutions 

By using its unique innovations, Phasor has radically reinvented the concept of an antenna, enabling almost any vehicle surface to receive and send satellite signals.

Thanks to its technology, Phasor is solving the challenges of providing broadband internet services to high-speed passenger trains, with very low profile antennas. Since then, Phasor has developed its unique antenna technology to be suited to land-mobile, aeronautical and maritime satellite communication applications. 

The company has received a Phase 2 grant of 1.516.545€ from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2015.

View Phasor's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

Isotropic Systems 

Isotropic Systems has developed a disruptive satellite antenna for high throughput connectivity. Thanks to its innovative work, the company aims at supporting the satellite industry and guiding it towards new and non-traditional markets.

Isotropic Systems’s technology presents several advantageous features: it is low cost, increasing profitability and securing significantly higher revenues. It has an unlimited bandwidth to serve more customers and end-users. Last, but not least, it provides the possibility to increase the reach of the network into more remote regions and more demanding environments, and lower the operating costs of the services delivered to the end user.

The company has received a Phase 1 grant from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2018.

View Phasor's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

NSLComm 

NSLComm has developed new antenna technologies to transform the efficiency of communications services, bringing supercharged bandwidth at a lower price per bit. The technology allows antennas to be stowed during launch in a compact volume and deployed while in orbit, saving mass, volume, and supporting structures. 

 

Sat4M2M 

Sat4M2M supports the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution by going beyond the limitations imposed by today’s network infrastructures. The company’s satellite-based technology is now able to sense and monitor things from anywhere in the world. Thanks to the their extended battery life, Sat4M2M’s sensors can send their signals for over six years, allowing connection to things around the world without any gsm network limitations. The collected data is transmitted directly to Sat4M2M international space station. It retrieves data from objects anywhere and forwards it directly to the end user through the web. 

The company has received a Phase 2 grant of 1.825.190€ from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2017.

View Sat4M2M's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

ThrustMe 

Constellations of miniaturized satellites in low Earth orbit are the future of global connectivity and real-time Earth monitoring. ThrustMe enables this new space industry to be economically and environmentally sustainable by developing and commercialising standalone, fully integrated space propulsion systems together with value-added engineering services for these next generation satellites.

The company has received a Phase 2 grant of 50.000€ from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2018.

View ThrustMe's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

D-Orbit 

D-Orbit provides innovative solutions to improve new and traditional space businesses. It designs in-space and on-ground operations with unique and disruptive technologies. The company’s products and services cover the entire lifecycle of a space mission, including mission analysis and design, engineering, manufacturing, integration, testing, launch, and end-of-life decommissioning. 

The company has received a Phase 1 grant and Phase 2 grant of 1.960.485€ from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2015.

View D-Orbit's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

Satlantis 

SATLANTIS is a promising NewSpace startup that employs constellations of microsatellites for scientific and commercial applications. The company provides high performance payload technologies to enable the development of high spatial and temporal resolution services for earth observation and teledetection.

The company has received a Phase 1 grant in 2015 and Phase 2 grant of 1.667.593€ from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2017.

View SATLANTIS's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

EXOTRAIL 

Exotrail develops electric propulsion solutions for small satellites. The company has developed the highest thrust electric propulsion system currently on the market. It reduces consistently the time needed for a propulsion mission and it supports the creation of agile small satellites constellations to revolutionise telecommunication, earth observation, space and science.

The company has received a Phase 1 grant from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2018.

View Exotrail's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

Hemav 

HEMAV is offers data analytics through Artificial Intelligence, boosted by the use of drone and satellite images. The company has built a unique system to bring knowledge to agriculture and utilities industries thanks to calibrated precision drones. The technology takes advantage of agronomic data creates to offer agronomic recommendations to the agricultural sector to make treatments more efficient and generate estimates of crop production and quality levels.

The company has received a Phase 1 grant from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2017.

View Exotrail's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

Nanoavionics 

NanoAvionics enables numerous space-based businesses by supplying the market with their multi-purpose, high-performance and affordable nanosatellite buses. Besides manufacturing of preconfigured buses, they also assist their customers in mission logistics, integration and launch brokerage.

The company has received a Phase 1 grant in 2016 and Phase 2 grant of 1.175.655€ from the EIC pilot SME Instrument in 2017.

View NanoAvionics's information on the EIC SME Instrument data hub.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.

Please log in to see comments and contribute