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InCubed is an ESA programme managed by ɸ-lab

InCubed stands for ‘Investing in Industrial Innovation’ and is a Public Private Partnership co-funding programme run by the ESA Φ-lab. InCubed focuses on developing innovative and commercially viable products and services that generate or exploit the value of Earth observation imagery and datasets. The programme has a very wide scope and can be used to co-fund anything from building satellites to ground applications and everything between or to develop new EO business models.


Is InCubed right for me?

If you have an activity in mind, for example, a constellation, a satellite, an instrument, a technology, software, a service or an application related to the Earth observation sector and you want to develop it with ESA’s help and then roll it out commercially then InCubed is the programme for you. The ultimate aim of InCubed is for your development to reach, at least, the minimum viable product stage (i.e. start revenue generation) and be robust from a technical, commercial, programmatic and financial point of view. Your equity and Intellectual Property Rights, 100%, stay with you.

What we offer

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Zero-equity co-funding (agreed with your Participating State)
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Personalised guidance from world-class technical expertise & commercial support
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ESA stamp of credibility (e.g. use of the ESA logo,...)
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Privileged access to commercial product and services enabling your development Access to ESA EO facilities and Φ-lab community
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Membership of the InCubed community with access to networks and dedicated events

There is only one way to apply, submit your idea to ESA at any time

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The InCubed Process

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