10 European SpaceTech startups ready for liftoff
Europe’s SpaceTech sector is reaching new heights, supported by growing public investment and a stronger industrial presence. According to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) 2026 report, European public space budgets rose by 12% in 2025, while the region’s contractors regained part of their share of the upstream market – signs of the sector’s increasing strategic and institutional importance.
EU-Startups’ 2026 coverage points to growing demand for sovereign intelligence, connectivity, Earth observation, and independent access to space. Investment is flowing across the value chain, although most capital remains concentrated in a small number of satellite and launch companies, while businesses focused on propulsion, logistics, components, and orbital infrastructure are still developing.
In this article, we highlight 10 innovative startups founded between 2021 and 2026 that are already shaping the industry, presented in alphabetical order.
AIRMO turns hard-to-check environmental data into useful insights, making humanity’s impact on Earth easier to understand – and harder to ignore! Founded in 2022, the German-based startup has raised €10.3 million in funding.
Riga-based and launched in 2022, Deep Space Energy is developing radioisotope generators that turn heat from nuclear decay into electricity for satellites and lunar missions, keeping them powered when solar energy is unavailable, such as during long lunar nights or in permanently shadowed areas.
Its technology uses around five times less radioisotope fuel than conventional generators, helping missions last longer while making scarce nuclear material go further. Having a total funding of €930k, they managed to keep spacecraft running when the Sun cannot!
Launched in Munich, deltaVision builds the systems that move fuel, gases and heat around a spacecraft. These systems power engines, allow spacecraft to refuel while in orbit and prevent sensitive equipment from overheating, helping missions operate safely for longer.
The startup compares its technology to a spacecraft’s cardiovascular system because it keeps essential resources flowing to the right place at the right time. By designing these functions to work together, deltaVision aims to make spacecraft easier to maintain, reuse and adapt for different missions. Founded in 2022, deltaVision has raised €10.2 million in total funding.
NewOrbit Space is based in Reading, United Kingdom. It builds satellites designed to orbit Earth at around 180 kilometres, much closer than most conventional satellites. Operating at this lower altitude allows them to capture sharper images and deliver stronger, faster communication services.
By flying about three times closer to Earth than standard low-orbit satellites, NewOrbit can improve performance without relying on larger or more complex spacecraft. The company aims to make high-quality satellite imagery and connectivity more accessible from space. Since its founding in 2021, they have successfully raised €23 million in total funding.
Launched in Turin, ORiS develops a technology that sends power through precisely aimed laser beams. Its systems could recharge satellites in low Earth orbit, supply energy to equipment on the Moon and support civilian or defence projects on Earth.
The company’s technology works by directing laser energy toward a distant receiver, removing the need for cables or physical contact. ORiS also plans to use lasers to move space debris away from active satellites by gently changing its path. Since its founding in 2024, the company has raised €4.9 million in total funding.
Launched in 2026 and Zurich-based, Stellar Alpina develops compact rocket engines that help satellites and spacecraft move between orbits after launch. Its engines use fast-moving pressure waves to release more energy from the same amount of fuel, which could make them smaller, lighter and more efficient than conventional systems.
The technology could support satellite repositioning, orbital servicing and future missions to the Moon and deeper space. Its smaller engine design could make the technology easier to use across different types of spacecraft. Stellar Alpina has raised €3.8 million in total funding.
Terraspark is a Luxembourg-based startup developing space-based solar energy using a modular approach. Founded in 2025, the company uses satellites to collect sunlight in space and send the energy wirelessly to receivers on Earth.
By capturing sunlight above the clouds, TerraSpark could provide renewable energy at night, during poor weather and in remote areas with limited access to the electricity grid. Its modular design allows the company to test smaller parts of the system before building larger projects. TerraSpark has raised €5 million in funding.
The Compression Company is headquartered in London and creates satellites that send more information back to Earth. Its AI software reduces the size of satellite images and other files before they are transmitted, making better use of the short periods when satellites can connect with ground stations.
The software keeps important details clear while compressing less useful areas, such as clouds or large stretches of empty ocean, more heavily. It runs on computers already installed inside satellites, so operators do not need to add new hardware or launch more spacecraft. In simple terms, the company helps satellites send more of what they collect. Launched in 2025, The Compression Company has raised €2.9 million in funding.
Founded in 2021 and operating out of Germany, France and Italy, The Exploration Company develops reusable spacecraft called Nyx. These vehicles carry supplies and equipment to space stations, collect cargo for the return journey and bring it safely back to Earth. The company is also developing versions for missions around the Moon.
Nyx can dock with different space stations, launch on several types of heavy rockets and fly again after returning to Earth. Future versions could also refuel in orbit, allowing them to travel farther and complete more missions. The startup aims to make transporting goods through space more flexible and less wasteful. The Exploration Company has raised an impressive €263 million in funding.
Launched in 2022 in Paris, UNIVITY is building a satellite network that helps mobile operators provide fast internet and 5G coverage from space. Its satellites will fly closer to Earth than most conventional satellites, helping reduce delays and improve connections in rural areas, at sea, in the air and along transport routes.
UNIVITY connects its satellites with existing mobile networks, so telecom companies can expand their coverage while keeping control of their services and customers. The closer orbit also allows old satellites to leave orbit more quickly, reducing long-term space debris. In April 2026, the company raised €27 million, bringing its total funding to €67.3 million
