Translated using ChatGPT service.
"ESA BIC Latvia", the first European Space Agency (ESA) Business Incubation Center in Latvia, is pleased to announce the results of the first Tender Evaluation Board: two promising Latvian startups have been selected to participate in the “ESA BIC Latvia” incubation program. This is an important step in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the space industry in Latvia.
The evaluation and selection process was carried out jointly by “ESA BIC Latvia”, experts from the Latvian space ecosystem, and ESA, ensuring compliance with ESA’s strict standards and alignment with its mission. The selected startups represent both the upstream and downstream sectors of the space economy. While discussions on signing a contract with the second startup are still ongoing, “ESA BIC Latvia” is proud to officially announce the first company approved for incubation: “NRG Solutions.”
“NRG Solutions” uses Earth Observation (EO) data and modern geospatial technologies to modernize property assessment and evaluation. Their solution provides real estate professionals with remote, data-driven insights, identifying structural and environmental factors that affect building conditions. Unlike traditional methods, which largely rely on on-site inspections and subjective evaluations, “NRG Solutions” offers a scalable and data-rich alternative that improves efficiency and decision-making accuracy.
“We are truly excited to be the first company selected to participate in ESA BIC. We look forward to a productive incubation period, leveraging ESA BIC’s knowledge, support, and community. Our goal is to transform complex EO data sets into practical value for real estate professionals, and the start has already been promising,” says Linda Sēle, CEO of NRG Solutions.
“ESA BIC Latvia,” managed by the “Commercialization Reactor,” will support the selected startups during the two-year incubation period, providing up to €60,000 in equity-free funding to each company, access to the extensive ESA network in Europe, as well as local mentoring, technical support, legal and intellectual property consulting services, and connections with an international network of space innovators and industry players. In total, it is planned to incubate at least 12 startups over five years. During the incubation period, companies will also have the opportunity to participate in ESA tenders, covering everything from Earth exploration to space missions. All services provided by “ESA BIC Latvia” will be free of charge, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on innovation and business growth.
“We are proud to welcome the first startup, ‘NRG Solutions,’ into the ‘ESA BIC Latvia’ incubator, and we continue to actively seek new startups with significant potential to develop the space economy. We are here to help bold, space-related ideas become scalable businesses that create value for Latvia and beyond. ‘NRG Solutions’ is a perfect example of how space technologies can be used to solve real-world problems on Earth. We are committed to supporting their growth,” emphasizes Levs Lapkis, Head of “ESA BIC Latvia.”
Latvia’s participation in the ESA BIC network is jointly supported by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Economics.
“The space industry is rapidly developing globally, and Latvia has already established competitiveness at the international level. Increasing the number of space startups is an important step in the commercialization of science and the use of space technologies for development on Earth. Therefore, ESA BIC plays an important role in Latvia’s economy, both today and in the future,” says Ilze Lore, Director of the Entrepreneurship Support Department of the Ministry of Economics.
The ESA incubator accepts applications on an ongoing basis, but the selection program takes place twice a year after Tender Evaluation Board meetings. The next application deadline is June 22, 2025, at 18:00. Apply here: https://www.esabic.lv/apply
Currently, the ESA BIC network in Europe includes 32 centers in 22 countries. “ESA BIC Latvia” was opened on November 13, 2024, and its operational overseer is the “Commercialization Reactor.” Over the past 20 years, ESA BIC centers have helped develop more than 1,800 startups, some of which are now “unicorns.”