We are thrilled to announce the selection of the following UK-based companies for the Fall 2024 SoCal-UK Space Accelerator, a unique 8-week virtual program sponsored by the UK Space Agency that starts on September 3rd, 2024. This initiative aims to foster innovation, collaboration, and growth within the emerging space sector by bridging the dynamic ecosystems of Southern California and the vibrant space startup community in the United Kingdom.
The SoCal-UK Space Accelerator is designed to provide selected startups with unique access to industry expertise, mentorship, and resources, facilitating their journey towards becoming leading players in the global space industry. This program underscores our commitment to supporting the next generation of space technology pioneers and advancing the frontier of global space exploration and commercialization.
Selected Companies:
Agtelligence. Agtelligence is an agricultural technology company that uses Earth Observation data and AI to enhance farm sustainability and productivity through its flagship tool, FarmScore. By evaluating key sustainability metrics and transforming complex data into actionable insights, Agtelligence empowers farmers, lenders, and insurers to make informed decisions that foster environmental stewardship, enhance regulatory compliance, and improve economic viability in agriculture. https://www.agtelligence.space
ANGOKA. Headquartered in Belfast with offices in London and The Hague, the company has developed a patented technology for Identity Management and Access Control for machine-to-machine communication, with solutions for Smart systems across various industries. For the space sector, Angoka offers secure seamless convergent terrestrial/non-terrestrial 5G communication and is developing a secure digital infrastructure for the future space economy. https://angoka.io/
Lodestar. Lodestar is building a “first responder” service for the New Space age, starting with rapidly reconfigurable robotic actuators for in-orbit inspection & capture. Founded by space manufacturing researchers and backed by ESA and VCs, they’ve built a prototype arm, planned an in-space demo mission for Q1 2025, secured funding from the UK Space Agency, and tested their technology on a zero-gravity flight. https://lodestar.space/
Lumi. Lumi is a space technology company offering precision orbit determination, satellite tracking, and atmospheric turbulence monitoring solutions. Their services include cm-level accurate orbit determination via satellite laser ranging, predictive orbit modeling, retroreflector beacons for space sustainability, and Twinkle – the world’s first 24/7 autonomous atmospheric turbulence monitor, serving various applications from collision avoidance to free-space optical communications across LEO, MEO, and GEO. https://lumi.space
Second Star. Second Star is pioneering the next generation of propulsion systems for orbital mobility using a highly disruptive, research-backed manufacturing approach. Their solutions deliver best-in-class performance, utilize sustainable propellants, and are produced at high volumes with dramatically reduced costs, ensuring both economic and operational benefits for the space industry. www.secondstar.space
Space Solar. Space Solar aims to deliver an affordable, scalable, and fully renewable baseload energy technology within a decade through space-based solar power. With market-leading solar power satellite technology, strong UK government support, and partnerships across energy, space, and digital sectors, they plan to accelerate the transition to Net Zero and provide energy security for partner nations. https://www.spacesolar.co.uk/
SAIF Systems. The Future of Safe Autonomy in Space. SAIF are building Guardrails for Embodied-AI that function as a real-time, edge-based safety control platform for use in autonomous systems across the space exploration and operations domain. Their SAIF Autonomy platform enables the integration of advanced AI into space missions, solving AI assurance challenges and offers licensing and SaaS development options to OEMs, system integrators, operators, and regulators, ultimately ensuring safety in autonomous systems beyond Earth. https://saifsystems.ai
Universal Atmosphere Processing (UAP). Universal Atmosphere Processing (UAP) is pioneering advanced gas capture technology designed to efficiently capture and convert major greenhouse gasses into valuable products such as synthetic fuels, industrial chemicals, and building materials. Our cutting-edge Atmosphere Processing Plant (APP) addresses critical environmental challenges on Earth and holds a transformative potential for supporting sustainable human habitats in space. By processing and recycling atmospheric components, UAP’s technology aims to ensure long-term sustainability for extraterrestrial environments, paving the way for future space exploration and habitation. https://uap.engineering
Frontier Space Tech. Frontier Space Technologies enables and accelerates industrial life science in orbit with the mission of living off-world, leverages the unique space environment to improve life on Earth, and achieve these goals sustainably. They are developing SpaceLab, a miniaturized, autonomous laboratory for drug discovery in microgravity, in collaboration with international partners, while fostering a culture of learning and a diverse working environment. https://www.frontier-space.co.uk/
Mandala Space Ventures – UKSA SoCal Program Highlights:
Technical Due Diligence and Risk Assessment. Mandala Space Ventures is an industry-unique deep space-tech venture studio located in downtown Pasadena, California, walking distance from Caltech and a few miles from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Mandala will provide the UKSA SoCal selected cohort a deep-dive into their underlying technology and perform technical due diligence and technical risk assessment.
Mentorship and Guidance. Each selected company will receive personalized mentorship from industry veterans, including experts from Mandala Space Ventures and our partners at NASA, JPL, The Aerospace Corporation, and leading aerospace companies. This guidance is crucial for navigating the complexities of the space sector and accelerating technological development.
Funding and Investment Opportunity. Participants will have access to a large network of investors and venture capitalists specializing in early-stage investments in space. This opportunity will allow the cohort to share their vision, business plans, growth opportunity and more, with a network of investors, helping them sharpen their messaging and increase the likelihood for seed or Series A financing.
Collaborative Environment. The accelerator fosters a collaborative environment where startups can share ideas, resources, and best practices. This collective approach enhances innovation and drives the entire cohort towards success.
Transatlantic Opportunities. By connecting the vibrant space communities of Southern California, the USA and the UK, the program opens up new business opportunities and fosters international partnerships, further enriching the participating companies’ growth trajectories.
Looking Ahead.
The SoCal-UK Space Accelerator begins its program on September 3rd, 2024, with an 8-week virtual program that culminates in an in-person pitch day by the cohort at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) on October 25th, 2024. This event will take place in front of a group of early-stage investors in space, strategic partners, sponsors, and space leaders.
This program, funded by the UK Space Agency, represents a significant step forward in Mandala Space Ventures’ mission to be a global leader in the emerging space ecosystem and to connect the SoCal space community with the rest of the world for the benefit of humanity.
Read more: https://spacenews.com/nine-ventures-join-first-socal-uk-space-accelerator/