Demo Day Batch 7
CASSINI Business Accelerator
|
October 28, 2026
Six months of hard work, one stage in Prague. Our seventh cohort has officially graduated from the CASSINI Business Accelerator, and we couldn't think of a better setting for it than the CASSINI Entrepreneurship Days.
On 30 September and 1 October 2026, La Fabrika in Prague became the meeting point of Europe's space start-up community, at an event co-organised by the European Commission and the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), with the participation of the European Space Agency.
For our start-ups, Demo Day was the moment to show how far they have come. They pitched their solutions on the main stage in front of more than 50 investors, strategic partners and EU decision-makers, then carried those conversations on at their booths and in one-to-one meetings. Between pitches, participants could also get insights into upcoming EU funding opportunities, meet EUSPA experts and cheer on the CASSINI Challenges winners as they were celebrated live on stage.
Batch 7 Start-ups in the Spotlight
One by one, Batch 7 start-ups took the stage to present their solutions, each pitch followed by the audience's scoring and interest in a follow-up discussion. Beyond the technology itself, the teams made a case for their market readiness and competitive advantage in the EU space industry.
The line-up also showed just how broad Europe's space innovation has become. Upstream, the cohort covered everything from propulsion, solar arrays and in-orbit manufacturing to space electronics, flight software and reusable kick stages for in-space mobility. Downstream, start-ups showcased Earth observation and geospatial AI solutions for forests, water quality, urban greenery and climate risk. And with companies using microgravity to advance drug development and disease models, space-enabled life sciences made a notable appearance as well.
Insights from the CASSINI Entrepreneurship Days
Under the theme "Built in Europe. Built to Last!", this year's CASSINI Entrepreneurship Days looked at how European space ventures are adapting to shifting geopolitical and market dynamics, while also reflecting on six years of the CASSINI initiative and what lies ahead.
The first day opened with an investor workshop on financing the space economy, followed by a panel on Europe's path to space autonomy and resilience, where strategic autonomy was framed as a sovereign capability built through innovation. In a reverse pitching session, investors shared their own perspective on a robust space economy. The day closed with the CASSINI Business Accelerator Demo, featuring companies from our seventh cohort.
On the second day, upstream and downstream start-ups from across the CASSINI ecosystem took the stage in thematic pitching sessions. The twelve CASSINI Challenges winners were celebrated as well, each receiving EUR 100,000 for solutions ranging from flood prediction and wildfire detection to space traffic management and secure governmental satellite communications. With booths, one-to-one meetings and more than 50 investors, strategic partners and EU decision-makers in attendance, the event made clear that Europe's space sector is increasingly focused on commercial readiness, access to capital and strategic resilience.
What’s Next
As the curtain falls on Batch 7, we want to thank all 21 start-ups for their energy, openness and commitment over the past six months. From propulsion systems and in-orbit manufacturing to forest intelligence and space-based biotech, these companies show the strength and diversity of Europe's space ecosystem. Their graduation from the accelerator is not an end point but a launchpad: the connections made in Prague, the skills sharpened during the programme and the momentum built along the way will carry them into their next stage of growth. We wish every team the best as they scale their businesses, win new customers and secure the investment they need. We have no doubt they will help build a stronger, more competitive and more resilient EU space economy, one that is built in Europe and built to last. Good luck, Batch 7, we can't wait to see where you go next!
