Supporting deep tech entrepreneurs, strengthening local economies

With a proven model and strong return on investment, we’ve built a reputation for delivering impact – launching standout businesses, fuelling regional growth, and creating a springboard for long-term success.

Man helping woman climb up the peak of a mountain

Turning investment into impact

£25

Return to the UK economy for every £1 invested

220

Deep tech startups supported

£13m

STFC investment into startups

1000+

High-value jobs created

£650m+

In startup value, equivalent to a FTSE 250 company

Latest news and insights

Metacarpal: The first bionic hand solely powered and controlled through body motion.

Metacarpal make fully body-powered yet bionic, prosthetic hands with zero electronics. The functionality of the prosthetics is fully generated by the user, giving the most intuitive and practical operation.

STFC backs 10 pioneering health start-ups at Daresbury Laboratory

From early lung cancer detection to heart failure prediction, businesses at the DeepTech Catalyst Health are developing breakthrough technologies to improve patient outcomes.

Frontier Space Achieves Major Orbital Milestone with First In-Orbit Biotech Mission

Frontier Space, an incubatee of the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre United Kingdom (ESA BIC UK) at Space Park Leicester, has successfully completed its first orbital mission, marking a significant step forward in space-based biomanufacturing and scientific research.

Omanos Analytics: Unveiling Community Impacts of Conflict and Climate

Omanos Analytics combines satellite data with community insights to monitor the social and environmental impacts of infrastructure projects. With support from ESA BIC UK, they developed their data visualisation tool, Askr, and refined their product strategy.

Treeconomy: UK Start-Up Bringing Trust and Traceability to Ecosystem Restoration

Treeconomy is using satellite and drone data to improve transparency in ecosystem restoration. With support from ESA BIC UK, they’ve scaled their tech, grown their team, and secured investment to advance nature-based climate solutions.

Lúnasa: Accelerating the Development of In-Orbit Infrastructure

Lúnasa is developing next-gen technologies and services for enabling the In-Orbit Services, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) industry. The company is focused on building and commercialising its autonomous Rendezvous Proximity Operations (RPO) technology for satellite servicing missions and operates testbeds in orbit to provide affordable tech rideshare for ISAM companies for in-orbit validation purposes.

Finchetto: Sustainably Powering the Future of AI

Finchetto, a pioneering deep-tech startup, is addressing one of the most urgent challenges in AI and data infrastructure: the unsustainable energy demands of data centres.

Celebrating 20 years of the ESA Business Incubation Centre

Senior Startup Award presented to ESA BIC UK Alumni, Open Cosmos at the European Space Agency’s 20 year celebration event. The event in Munich, Germany, brought together entrepreneurs, space companies, investors and policymakers.