Startups
The first incubation cohort
From 13 initial submissions, the Tender Evaluation Board has selected six outstanding deep-tech startups to join ESA BIC Slovakia. Backed by up to €60,000 in equity-free funding and direct ESA technical support, these ventures are scaling cutting-edge upstream and downstream space solutions. Explore our inaugural portfolio below.
AeroStacks
Soilscale
Straton Technologies
Calibris
ZORA
AstroBAT
Aerostacks is a deep-tech startup developing proprietary radar technology for sub-surface snowpack analysis, optimizing slope management and artificial snowmaking for ski resorts. The company’s sensor systems measure snow properties directly on the slopes, replacing guesswork with precise data to reduce energy and water consumption while extending the ski season. Founded by high school classmates following success in ESA’s CanSat competition and the Spaceport incubator, the team has expanded from three founders to eight specialists. Aerostacks earned the Best Student Startup award at Startup Awards Slovakia and secured €120,000 in private investment. The startup has active deployments at Jasná in Slovakia and Silvretta Montafon in Austria.
SoilScale is an agritech startup developing AI-powered crop intelligence solutions to optimize vineyard management. The company combines multispectral drone imaging and tractor-mounted sensor probes with computer vision to deliver actionable field insights, including yield estimation, segmentation, and early disease detection. SoilScale leverages spectral analysis and machine learning models to digitize vineyard analytics. Demonstrating strong early traction, the team has partnered with Slovak scale-up ekolive and is actively deploying pilot programs across partner vineyards to establish automated, data-driven viticulture.
Straton Technologies develops stratospheric flight hardware and High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) systems for time-critical Earth observation and near-space missions. Operating in the 20 to 30 km altitude layer, the company closes the operational gap between orbital satellites, conventional aircraft, and low-altitude drones to enable high-resolution, multi-hour environmental monitoring and rapid disaster response, including wildfire tracking. The team brings a flight-proven track record of 29 successful stratospheric missions reaching up to 43 km, backed by deep technical expertise in autonomous flight control, long-range telemetry, and modular gondola design. Straton Technologies is commercializing altitude-controlled, extended-endurance balloon platforms as a foundational stepping stone toward its persistent PHOTON HAPS aircraft.
Calibris is a deep-tech startup developing a multi-sensor gyroscope module tailored for small-satellite Attitude and Orbit Control Systems (AOCS). The company bridges the gap between low-cost, noisy sensors and heavy, prohibitive tactical units by combining a redundant Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) array with advanced onboard signal processing. This self-contained module delivers built-in hardware redundancy through a single unified sensor output, eliminating complex custom integration software for satellite constellation builders. Calibris is currently de-risking its hardware with ESA technical experts to establish a scalable, sovereign European inertial sensing solution free from ITAR restrictions.
ZORA Reentry Systems develops high-temperature composite materials and modular Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) for space vehicle orbital reentry, launch vehicles, and hypersonic applications. The company addresses a critical European supply gap by designing and manufacturing commercially available carbon/phenolic composite hardware, including rocket nozzles, engine liners, combustion chamber inserts, and thrust vector control (TVC) flaps. ZORA’s flagship initiative, Project NORA, delivers a modular, adaptable heatshield architecture engineered with PICA-like performance that integrates across various spacecraft configurations without requiring full structural redesigns. Selected for incubation at ESA BIC Slovakia, the startup provides end-to-end custom engineering, advanced composite fabrication, and in-house thermal-mechanical testing to advance sovereign European reentry and propulsion capabilities.
AstroBAT is a space-tech startup developing failure-tolerant, high-reliability battery systems with intelligent Battery Management Systems (BMS) for CubeSats and small satellites. The company tackles a critical vulnerability in standard satellite architectures, where traditional power systems lack string-level redundancy and risk total mission failure from a single degraded cell or radiation strike. AstroBAT’s flagship product, DIOO (Deliver Integrated Power On Orbit), decouples the battery pack from the central Electric Power System (EPS) and deploys autonomous, onboard lifetime-extension algorithms and granular telemetry. Incubated within ESA BIC Slovakia, AstroBAT provides modular space-grade battery hardware, standalone BMS firmware licensing, and integration support to maximize orbital mission longevity for small satellite operators.