Four startups chosen for the Space BIC business incubation programme were unveiled at a recent presentation in Nicosia. The programme aims to support entrepreneurship in space technologies in Cyprus.
Periopsis, SatelliteLegal AI, Orizontas, and Gaia Intelligence each received €50,000 in de minimis funding, with no equity required, to develop prototypes, validate technologies, and scale innovative solutions.
Space BIC (Space Business Incubation Centre) is operated by the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence at the Cyprus University of Technology, with support and funding from the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy. The programme aims to empower startups and entrepreneurs leveraging satellite data, space technologies, or geoinformation services.
Acting Permanent Secretary of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Georgios Komodromos, said the Ministry “proudly supports and funds Space BIC as part of our strategic vision."
"The decision to support four startup teams in a single acceleration cycle, rather than two teams across separate cycles, was a deliberate and forward-looking choice. Cyprus’s recent accession to the European Space Agency (ESA) further strengthens this effort, significantly enhancing the country’s role in the European space sector and opening new opportunities for organisations, researchers, and startups,” he noted.
Diofantos Hadjimitsis, Managing Director of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence and Professor at the Cyprus University of Technology, said that "we are proud to be part of this strategic initiative, which supports and strengthens the Cypriot space ecosystem and contributes to the country’s vision of becoming a regional hub for digital innovation in research, technology, and entrepreneurship.”
Among those present were Philokypros Roussounides, Secretary General of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), as well as representatives of the diplomatic missions of Germany, France, Greece, and Hungary also attended, along with Commander Nicolas Fredon, French Defence Attaché to Cyprus, and Christian Gihr, President of the Cyprus-German Business Association.
(Source: CNA)
