SPACE RESOURCESINDUSTRY ACCELERATOR
The BSGN Space Resources Industry Accelerator is designed to advance the development of technologies and services that will shape the future lunar space resources value chain.
It is part of the European Space Agency (ESA) Business in Space Growth Network (BSGN) initiative and operated by the Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC). The Accelerator focuses on supporting ventures from ESA Member States with strong commercial potential developing commercial solutions related to the lunar space resources value chain. The BSGN Accelerator for Space Resources helps fast-track the selected ventures with co-funding, technical, commercial and fundraising support provided during the Acceleration Phase.
Key Goals
To increase TRL from lab-based prototypes to lunar demonstration.
To foster public-private investment in commercial ISRU.
To support the development of a thriving and sustainable lunar space resources value chain.
Focus Areas
Supporting innovation across the Lunar space resources value chain, the BSGN Accelerator identifies and supports companies addressing high-priority challenges and opportunities in this domain. The initiative focuses on synergetic space and terrestrial solutions, encouraging commercial entities to mature their technologies toward lunar analogue testing and flight-readiness.
Commercial solutions synergistically addressing both space and terrestrial challenges and applications are encouraged core focus areas:
- Power and energy distribution
- Optical wireless power beaming
- Lunar night survival and power for shadowed regions
- In-space manufacturing and construction
- Material integration with regolith
- Lunar resource processing
- Resources Extraction from lunar regolith (Oxygen and silicon production, Metal extraction)
- Robotic systems (e.g. as such for lunar ground refueling)
- Textiles from lunar materials
Target Audience
Commercial entities (startups, SMEs and scaleups) or consortia developing solutions that can advance the development of the lunar space resources value chain:
- Commercial solutions based on space resources Core Capabilities (solutions directly related to lunar resources (i.e. regolith, water ice)
- Commercial solutions based on space resources Enabling Capabilities (solutions not directly related to lunar resources but enabling and/or supporting lunar space resources utilisation (i.e. Energy/Power, Mobility, Comms/Nav, Logistics, Robotics, Software/AI, Maintenance)
From Lab to Moon: Accelerating Commercial Breakthrough
The BSGN Accelerator goes beyond funding – it’s a launchpad for commercial success. Through the support of ESA and ESRIC, cohort members gain access to technical, commercial and fundraising support aimed to fast-track innovation from concept to lunar deployment.
Key benefits include:
- Tailored business development support, networking and investor matchmaking via ESA’s Investor Network, ESRIC’s and Technoport networks
- Visibility at major industry events such as Space Resources Week
- Opportunities for integration into future ESA lunar service missions
- Connect with world-class testing facilities, including Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chambers, regolith simulants, and lunar environment testbeds
What Can The Accelerator Do For You?
Drive Innovation
Provide a competitive edge in the market
Offer technical, business, and commercialisation expertise
Grant access to microgravity/space-based R&D facilities
Enable new cross-sector partnerships
Provide funding contributions and explore additional funding sources
About ESRIC
The European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) is Europe’s leading hub for space resources research, innovation, and commercialization. Based in Luxembourg and implemented in the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), ESRIC acts as the operational lead of the Space Resources Industry Accelerator.
Through access to its facilities, technical expertise, and commercial focus, ESRIC supports startups, scaleups, and research organizations aiming to develop innovative solutions across the entire space resources value chain.
ESRIC ensures close collaboration with ESA and BSGN to align the accelerator’s goals with Europe’s broader roadmap toward a sustainable lunar economy.
Current Status
Six ESA Member States based companies were selected for the first cohort and they are going through the Acceleration Phase which aims to support them in finalizing and submitting an project implementation plan involving a proof-of-concept or demonstration, in terrestrial environment or space environment to advance the level of maturity of their commercial solutions. The companies which successfully pass the ESA-ESRIC review of their implementation plan, will be awarded with ESA co-funding to cover up to up to 50% of their total project implementation costs.
The current Phase 2 of the BSGN Accelerator will run for 24 months. Prior to the end of Phase 2 a new Call for projects is expected to be issued to support more space resources commercial ventures.
The supported projects in the 1st cohort are developing solutions across a wide technological spectrum – from scalable power distribution systems and robotic refueling interfaces to lunar-optimized 3D printing technologies and regolith processing.
Together, these ventures are laying the foundation for a sustainable lunar space resources value chain, while also unlocking high-impact innovations on Earth.
Cohort 1
Six projects were selected in 2025 for the first cohort of the BSGN Industry Accelerator for Space Resources. Each brings its potentially transformative contribution to the lunar space resources value chain:
Company Name: FibreCoat
Country: Germany
Mission: First-ever production process of fibres and textile on another celestial body – specifically the Moon – using energy and Lunar regolith as raw material
Solution: Miniature launch-ready machine to melt regolith, spin fibres and create textiles in Moon conditions
Relevance: Key for lunar infrastructure (landing pads, filters, habitats)
Company Name: MAANA Electric
Country: Luxembourg
Mission: Co-produce silicon and oxygen from regolith using electrochemical ISRU.
Solution: Molten Salt Electrolysis adapted for lunar chemistry and extension of process lifetime for long-term sustainable operations.
Relevance: Oxygen for life support and fuel and silicon for in situ solar power.
Company Name: Orbital Matter
Country: Poland
Mission: Develop and demonstrate 3D printing technology capable of operating in simulated lunar conditions and utilizing lunar regolith-based photopolymers.
Solution: A moon-optimized 3D printer combined with novel resin formulations specifically engineered for the lunar environment.
Relevance: Critical for in-situ construction on the Moon, significantly reducing the mass and volume of payloads launched from Earth, while supporting scalable and sustainable lunar infrastructure development.
Company Name: Space Power
Country: United Kingdom
Mission: Delivering alternative power sources in space to support long-term operations in space.
Solution: High-efficiency, universally compatible laser beam system + plasma dust removal tech for lunar surfaces.
Relevance: Enabling power transfer in shadowed craters and during lunar nights ensuring continuous operation
Company Name: VOLTA Space Technologies
Country: Canada
Mission: Provide affordable and scalable energy everywhere on the Moon, making permanent presence finally possible.
Solution: A constellation of Lunar satellites sending pay-as-you-go energy via laser to lunar surface assets equipped with compact receivers.
Relevance: Affordable energy is the fundamental enabler of sustainable ISRU development.
Company Name: Orbit Fab
Country: United Kingdom
Mission: To Build the In-Space Propellant Supply Chain
Solution: creating an in-orbit refuelling ecosystem so that satellites and spacecraft are no longer constrained by their initial fuel load at launch.
Relevance: Looking to enable autonomous transfer of liquids and gases, supporting sustainable lunar operation, using OF interfaces GRASP and RAFTI.
