CASSINI Matchmaking brings startups, scaleups and SMEs to start a conversation with corporates and investors to accelerate their business.
Startups, scaleups and SMEs benefit from CASSINI Matchmaking step-by-step support in the preparation for the matchmaking with investors and corporates.
Investors and corporates benefit from the preselected pool of cutting-edge companies and are presented with streamlined and to-the-point collaboration opportunities from venture capital funding to industrial partnerships.
This way, CASSINI Matchmaking supports corporates and investors to expand their range of opportunities and enable startups, scaleups and SMEs to increase their revenue, securing new customers and accessing new markets.
Assuring quality and a positive outcome
CASSINI Matchmaking makes sure that the demands of investors, corporates and end users are met by the participating companies – while the companies get what they need to develop their business.
To achieve this, participating entities are paired according to specific topics, which will result in different targeted matchmaking events.
CASSINI Matchmaking runs in two editions of matchmaking events over the years 2022 and 2023.
Each edition consists of two types of CASSINI Matchmaking events:
Investor Matchmaking
Matchmaking through industrial and institutional partnering
Both types of matchmaking are delivered through four dedicated events each, running over a period of eight months.
Each edition starts with a launch event and closes with a final one. In both occasions, the entire community is gathered to benefit from in-person networking.
Participating companies and corporates for the first edition are selected through an open call that runs from 15 March to 9 May 2022.
Meaningful matchmaking is only possible when a proper education and training are offered to all parties involved. Therefore, all approved participants benefit from education and trainings.
Investors and corporates need to understand the enabling quality of space technology and data from space, as they might not had proper exposure to them yet.
Companies, on their end, need to make best use of the opportunity is given to them, to make an impact and deliver the appropriate message.
In January 2021, the European Commission announced the setting-up of a EUR 1 billion European Space Fund to boost startups and space innovation.
Key aim was to cover the whole innovation cycle, from business ideas to industry growth. On this basis, CASSINI (Competitive Space Start-ups for InnovatIon) has been put in place to support EU-entrepreneurship among space-related businesses.
Managed by DG DEFIS, CASSINI is a comprehensive initiative tailored to the needs of companies in different growth stages from seed to mid-caps. It also boosts companies developing space technology as well as digital applications for various markets, by improving their access to investments and professional networks.
As part of the EU Strategy for SMEs, CASSINI aims at consolidating and streamlining existing actions as well as inciting new ones to create a structured, coherent and long-term public support mechanism to increase growth in the EU.
Testimonials
CASSINI Matchmaking has truly revolutionized the way we, as investors, connect with pioneering space companies in Europe. Through this platform, we've been introduced to numerous promising ventures, but a standout moment was discovering the exceptional team at ECAPS, a Swedish trailblazer in aerospace technology. ECAPS produces advanced rocket engines and groundbreaking green propellant technology. This non-toxic solution serves as the ultimate commercial substitute to the traditional, environmentally-deleterious hydrazine. Recognizing their immense potential and values that align with our vision for a sustainable space industry, we are proud to announce that we have now fully acquired ECAPS. Our heartfelt gratitude to CASSINI Matchmaking for being the catalyst to such a transformative partnership.
CASSINI Matchmaking has already put us in touch with some of the prospective clients, as well as partners. A couple of them we still have to decide whether they could be partners or clients, so it has definitely expanded our awareness and understanding of the overall market.
CASSINI Matchmaking is helping us fill the gap between corporates and startups, and specifically helping us bring satellite data in the decision making of the infrastructure sector.
CASSINI Matchmaking helps to talk to the companies in the field and discover what everyone is doing, so we are building the ecosystem all together. I think that is really important. On the other hand, it supports meeting investors and have one-to-one conversations, acquiring feedback on how we can improve our pitch, and opening a discussion on what is missing and what we should go in deeper.
CASSINI Matchmaking was a tremendous opportunity to bring space ecosystem participants into one place to get connected, exchange notes, and start collaborating with the sole purpose of accelerating growth of the European space ecosystem.
