You have a space-based product. We have EUR 100 000

The next deadline for the Cassini Challenges is less than a month away! So, if you have a space-based product that is either ready for commercialisation or already on the market, don’t delay – with a cash prize of EUR 100 000 on the table, it’s time to apply today.

The Cassini Challenges aim to support the development of innovative commercial solutions – such as mobile apps or hardware-based solutions – that leverage the data and services of the EU Space Programme.

To ensure your company has all the information it needs to make the ‘Submission of a Product’ track’s 19 April Deadline, EUSPA is organising an informational webinar. Scheduled for 26 March at 16:00 CET, the webinar will cover everything from how to apply to the way submissions will be evaluated. There will also be ample time for questions and answers.

More than just covering the details, the webinar will highlight the many ways you stand to benefit from the competition. That’s because the top five applicants not only receive EUR 100 000 each, you’ll also get the support of EUSPA’s team of Market Development experts and have access to our treasure trove of tools, market intelligence and publications. 

As if that alone wasn’t enough to send you searching for the ‘apply now’ button, then consider this: you’ll have direct access to a range of EU Space Programme services, including those provided by the EGNOS, Galileo, and Copernicus programmes. 

But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what a past winner has to say about how they benefited from the competition: 

“Winning the CASSINI Challenges product track has been transformative for us, significantly evolving our cloudless service and business model into a scalable subscription service. This accolade not only refined our technology but also expanded our market reach, opening doors to new applications. The competition offered us exposure, matchmaking opportunities, and funding, a powerful mix that's propelling our growth forward. 10/10, would do it again,” says Morten Fjord Pedersen, Co-founder & CEO of ClearSky Vision, who won the Product Track during the 2023 edition of the competition. The start-up uses deep learning algorithms to deliver cloud-free Sentinel-2 images, ensuring accurate and timely information for various applications.

Although the webinar is free, registration is required.

Time for the fine print

The Cassini Challenges is open to anyone from the EU27 plus Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. All submitted products must target one of the following innovation areas:

• Next Generation Challenge: applicants are asked to leverage Galileo and Copernicus data to craft value adding solutions to improve the well-being, safety, security and connectivity of EU citizens.
• Sustainable Future Challenge: participants are tasked with developing innovative solutions for the conservation of ecosystems, sustainable agriculture and management of energy and resources.
• Emerging Technologies Challenge: innovators must develop disruptive solutions combining EU Space data with deep technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, blockchain, Extended Reality or the Metaverse.

All products and applications should have a TRL level of 8 or 9 and submissions must include a description of the typical use case of the product, the customer needs it addresses and the value proposition. 

The five winners will be announced during an awards ceremony in Prague, part of EUSPA’s annual Entrepreneurship Day.

More information on the CASSINI Challenges can be found here.

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