Supporting Czech Scale-ups with Growth Opportunities
ESA Technology Broker Czechia at Technology Centre Prague, participated in the ESA ScaleUp Commercialisation Network Meeting 2026, held on 19–21 May in Seville. The meeting brought together ESA representatives, ESA Technology Brokers, ESA Phi-Labs, and ESA Business Incubation Centres. For the Czech innovation ecosystem, the meeting was highly valuable because it focused on a key question: how can European technology companies move from a validated product or service to real commercial growth?
This is a critical phase for many Czech companies. They may already have strong technology, first validation or a promising market direction, but they still need access to customers, investors, procurement opportunities, international partners and specialised acceleration support. The ESA ScaleUp ecosystem is designed to help companies bridge this gap.
Learning from European acceleration programmes
One of the key lessons from the meeting was that Europe offers many acceleration options, but companies need to choose the right programme for their stage (maturity level, TRL 4-6) and country. A key part of the programme focused on the European accelerators. The meeting presented different types of acceleration support available in Europe and discussed how they can help companies bridge the gap between technology validation and commercial growth.
The main types of accelerators discussed were:
1. Cohort-based business accelerators
These programmes provide structured mentoring, business development and access to networks. They are useful for companies that need intensive support with growth strategy, investor readiness and market positioning.
2. Public and quasi-public accelerators
These are often national, regional or EU-supported programmes. They can provide grants, technical support and access to public innovation networks, although application and reporting processes may be more complex.
3. Corporate accelerators
These are run by large companies and can help scale-ups access industrial customers, pilot projects and commercial partnerships. They are particularly useful when there is a clear strategic fit between the company’s technology and the corporate partner’s needs.
4. Space and deep-tech-specific accelerators
These programmes focus on specialised sectors such as space, aerospace, Earth observation, satellite technologies, advanced manufacturing, AI, robotics or deep tech. They are especially relevant for Czech companies working with advanced technologies that can be applied in space or transferred from space to terrestrial markets.
Investor access and ESA commercialisation tools
Another important topic was access to the financial community. ESA presented the development of its investor network, which includes more than 90 members from venture capital, private equity, institutional investment and debt financing. This network can help companies connect with investors who understand the specific needs of space and deep-tech businesses.
Participants also learned about ESA matchmaking tools that help connect companies with relevant investors from the ESA Investor Network. This is particularly useful for scale-ups looking for targeted funding opportunities rather than general investor outreach.
For Czech companies, this is valuable because it creates another route to European investors who are already familiar with ESA programmes, space technologies and the long development cycles often associated with deep-tech innovation.
Practical cases and the “acceleration gap”
The meeting also presented real company cases showing how businesses can move through the difficult phase between technical validation and commercial success. This phase is often described as the “acceleration gap”, where companies may have a promising technology but still need stronger customer access, investment readiness, procurement experience and scaling capabilities.
Participants heard examples of companies that used ESA support, investor networks, marketplace opportunities and acceleration programmes to move towards commercial growth. These cases are important for Czech companies because they show practical routes from technology maturity to market adoption.
Exchange with ESA Technology Brokers and Phi-Labs (ESA Φ-lab)
The event also provided an important opportunity for direct exchange among ESA Technology Brokers from across Europe. Today, the ESA Technology Broker network brings together around 25 brokers who support technology transfer between the space and non-space sectors through instruments such as ESA Spark Funding, Prepare for Space and ESA Harmonisation. These exchanges are valuable because brokers can share new use cases, successful technology transfer examples, collaboration models and lessons learned from different national markets.
ESA Technology Broker Czechia also gained updated insight into the ESA Phi-Lab network. ESA Phi-Labs support the maturation and commercialisation of innovative technologies through specialised hubs. Each Phi-Lab focuses on a specific technological area, such as robotics, AI, secure communications, Arctic applications or advanced hardware.
| Country / ESA Phi-Lab | ESA Phi-Lab focus | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | AI and edge computing; autonomous intelligent space systems. | 15 June 2026, 14:00 |
| Finland | Geospatial innovation, including sensors, GIS computing, Earth observation, PNT and GNSS. | 7 September 2026 |
| Austria | Upstream space innovation, including the industrialisation of space hardware and software. | TBD |
| Switzerland | Deep-tech innovation, including quantum technologies, data science and advanced materials. | TBD |
| Spain | Space-based solutions for climate resilience. | TBD |
| Ireland | Next-generation space-optimised hardware. | TBD |
| Netherlands | Downstream space data and technologies for resilient societies. | TBD |
| Norway | Space-enabled technologies addressing Arctic needs. | TBD |
| Poland | Robotics, AI and autonomy. | TBD |
| United Kingdom | Space-enabled sustainability, resilience and environmental sustainability. | TBD |
Why this meeting matters for Czech companies
Czech technology companies often have strong technical expertise, but they may face challenges when moving from a validated product or service to international commercial growth. The meeting addressed exactly this stage: the period when companies need first large customers, investor access, procurement opportunities, strategic partnerships and visibility in European markets.
For Czech scale-ups, this can mean support in areas such as:
- finding customers and partners in other ESA Member States via ESA Matchmaking, or describring your profile on ESA Star, attending Space Tech Expo, Czech Space Week, info days about specific missions, attending EUSPA Industry Days, and actively using online matchmaking platforms.
- accessing investors interested in space-related and deep-tech technologies,
- using ESA networks to increase visibility via ESA Matchmaking, ESA Harmonisation,
- identifying funding and procurement opportunities.
Thank you to ESA, AEE, the City of Seville, Indra, the Spanish Commercialisation Network and all members of the European network who made this week such a success. Photo: from Arribes LinkedIn.