Growbotics and Techwerk have joined the Westcott Space Cluster to take advantage of new funding available through the Westcott Incubator and Accelerator (WIA) Programme. They will become part of the fast-growing ecosystem of space companies situated at Westcott Venture Park.
Funded through Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and managed by the Satellite Applications Catapult, the Westcott Incubator and Accelerator (WIA) Programme is designed to support the growth and development of early-stage businesses and SME companies to explore, build and test their innovations at Westcott. Growbotics and Techwerk are the first successful companies to secure funding from the Incubator programme and will have access to business support and the business spaces provided by the Satellite Applications Catapult at Westcott Venture Park.
Growbotics is on a mission to create an on-orbit circular economy enabling a future where satellites are no longer single use by design. They provide consultancy services in space sustainability at the same time as de-risking critical underpinning technology enablers in order to provide high quality technical solutions to their customers. Techwerk is an AI company based in the UK. They build innovative 3D solutions for remote sensing applications, where fidelity and performance are paramount.
Patrick Cannon, Co-Founder and CTO of Techwerk said: “We’re thrilled to be part of the Westcott Incubator. Joining the programme is a significant milestone for Techwerk, and will accelerate our innovation journey through access to its network of technical experts, industry leaders and facilities.”
The WIA Programme offers funding support through two different packages which you can tailor to meet your needs over three years. The Incubator and Accelerator packages are available separately or in combination. The process for assessing applications includes:
The Incubator Programme offers early-stage business and SMEs strategic growth advice and support for the commercialisation of space related products and services. This includes technical guidance and design thinking, and commercialisation strategies for service development with funding support up to £20,000. The Accelerator Programme offers access and supported use of Satellite Applications Catapult's technical facilities, expertiseand equipment at Westcott. This includes a range of facilities and specialist apparatus for the development of products and services for space or enabled by space, and the support of technology experts who will help companies to identify the right equipment to suit their needs with funding support up to £25,000.
Joel Freedman, Head of Innovation Services at Satellite Applications Catapult which is leading the WIA Programme at Westcott said: “The facilities and expertise available at the Westcott Space Cluster are unique to the UK space landscape, really the cutting edge of the cutting edge, and the WIA programme is packaging these capabilities up for businesses, driving local innovation with global impact.”
Richard Harrington, Chief Executive at Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “These are exactly the type of innovative companies we are looking to support through the Incubator and Accelerator program. The judging panel were really impressed with their plans and the way they would operate and use the facilities to help advance their businesses.”
Thanks to the funding packages available through the WIA Programme, the expert teams and the cutting-edge facilities provided by the Catapult, Westcott will act as catalyst for the next stage of development for these companies within the space sector.
If you would like to be considered for one of the funding packages as part of the WIA Programme, please complete the short application online, or email wia@sa.catapult.org.uk.
