From space ideas to business worth hundreds of millions: the ESA BIC business incubator celebrates 10 years and plans further growth

10.05. 2026

The ESA BIC business incubator, operated by CzechInvest, has helped dozens of space companies with a turnover of hundreds of millions of crowns. Over the last ten years, the incubator has become a key tool for the development of the Czech space industry. At a time when space technologies are increasingly influencing everyday life, the Czech Republic is thus profiling itself as one of the growing European hubs in this field.

ESA BIC Czech Republic is part of the largest European network of incubators of the European Space Agency (ESA), which has already financially supported over 2000 space startups.Branches in Prague and Brno have incubated 72 companies, many of which are now operating on international markets and delivering innovations with real impact.The incubated companies are provided with expert mentoring, technical consultation and access to experts from industry and academia, helping them to bring innovative ideas into practice and bring them to market in the shortest possible time.

“Companies that have gone through the ESA BIC incubation programme are successfully operating on international markets and bringing concrete economic impact to the Czech Republic.57 percent of the supported startups were created directly thanks to the financial support of the incubator, which clearly shows its key role in the Czech space ecosystem,” said Jan Michal,CEO of CzechInvest.

From startup to international business

A total of 72 supported startups employ more than 500 people and their aggregate turnover for the last year exceeds CZK 300 million. These are not just individual innovative projects, but a growing segment of the economy with a real impact on employment.At the same time, the supported companies have carried out 74 investment rounds worth more than EUR 30 million, which confirms their ability to attract capital and investor confidence even at the international level.

Successful ESA BIC Czech Republic projects include Dronetag, which develops technologies for drone identification and monitoring and is now a global leader in its field.

“With the support of ESA BIC, we developed Dronetag Mini – our first product and the basis for everything that followed. Thanks to this, today Czech technology helps protect airspace in more than forty countries around the world,” added Lukáš Brchl, CEO of Dronetag.

“ESA BIC Czech Republic has successfully incubated more than 70 startups in the ten years of its existence and thus represents a key part of the space ecosystem not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the whole of Europe. In the current geopolitical and global economic context, the space sector is becoming even more important for maintaining European competitiveness and sovereignty. The ESA BIC network is a valuable tool for Czech start-ups to establish technical and commercial partnerships across ESA Member States.Our team is now working to strengthen the role of ESA BIC Czech Republic in this regard,” said PhilipThomas, Director of the ESA’s ScaleUp Programme Division.

What’s next: more support and expansion to the next region

ESA BIC Czech Republic enters the next decade with the ambition to continue to grow and strengthen its role in the Czech and European innovation ecosystem. The programme is currently negotiating an increase in financial support for startups and is also preparing the opening of its third branch in Pilsen in cooperation with the Business and Innovation Centre of the Pilsen Region.

Further development of the programme is confirmed by the long-term support of the City of Prague, which has been a local partner of ESA BIC since the beginning of the incubator’s operation in the Czech Republic. The City Council of the Capital City of Prague has been the main partner of the BIC. The Prague City Council approved the involvement of the city and co-financing of the incubator until 2032 in the amount of approximately CZK 31 million. The support was obtained thanks to the successful operation and results achieved so far.

“Space technologies are already having a significant impact on the functioning of modern cities and their importance will continue to grow. Prague wants to be there – it has long been working together to build an environment where innovative companies with international potential can emerge and develop. In this respect, ESA BIC Czech Republic is an example of successful cooperation between the city, the state and international institutions that brings concrete results for the economy and quality of life. That is why the continued support of this programme makes clear sense from the city’s point of view,” said Daniel Mazur, Councillor of the Capital City of Prague. The city’s councillor for science, research and innovation and smart city.

About ESA BIC Czech Republic

The ESA BIC Czech Republic incubator was established in 2016 with the support of the CzechInvest Agency for Enterprise and Investment Promotion, the European Space Agency, the City of Prague, the JIC, the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, the South Moravian Region and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.

Source: CzechInvest