The University of South Australia’s Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC) have announced applications for the State’s first space incubator program Venture Catalyst Space are now open for 2019.

The program is part of the State Governments $4m Space Innovation Fund which was launched in September 2017 and is delivered by the ICC, with global partners the South Australian Space Industry Centre and the International Space University.

It is the second intake of the four-year program established to further grow the local space industry and create a thriving space ecosystem.

With South Australia selected to be home to the Australian Space Agency and already home to over 60 space-related organisations, the program will continue to grow the space industry in South Australia and impose its local and international competitiveness.

The initiative’s pilot program was run in 2018 with five companies working closely with the ICC’s Entrepreneur in Residence, Kirk Drage and a network of expert advisers, over six months to test their ideas and develop their businesses.

The companies: Ping Services (SA), ResearchSat (SA), Wright Technologies (SA), Safety from Space (SA) and Tekuma (NSW) received a series of capability workshops, one-on-one mentoring, workspace and a stipend of $6,000 per company as well as the opportunity to pitch for a fully-funded overseas tour to network with relevant space industry primes, investors and other startups.

Director of the Innovation & Collaboration Centre Jasmine Vreugdenburg says she is looking forward to supporting the next up and coming space startups after the first successful program.

“We are looking for up to ten companies who are working on an early stage concept within the space industry from around the world,” she says.

“We have received some great feedback from the first five companies to graduate from the program and look forward to seeing where they land and welcoming the next cohort of eager space entrepreneurs.”

Part of the first cohort, Co-founders of Wright Technologies Kosta Canatselis and Bez Mohammadi say the program has given them clarity and a clear path forward.

“We are fast learning what a rollercoaster journey building a startup can be. The program has provided us with amazingly structured support that has helped us make sense of the chaos and enabled us to push forward with more confidence,” they said.

Applications are now open for the 2019 intake via icc.unisa.edu.au/venturecatalystspace and will close on Friday 26 April.

Media contact: Georgia Minarelli email: Georgia.Minarelli@unisa.edu.au mobile: 0413 314 726