Lift off for South Australian space company scaleup mission with first cohort of six companies

Raviteja Duggineni of ResearchSat; Jill Dewey of ESpy Ocean; Ann Angel of AUCBG; Adrian Smith of AUCBG; Tony Scoleri AICRAFT; Edward Robinson of Robinson Aerospace Systems.

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An inaugural business growth program by the University of South Australia (UniSA) for space companies has lifted off with six early-stage South Australian businesses.

AICRAFT, ESpy Ocean, HEX20, Orbital Blue, ResearchSat and Robinson Aerospace Systems make up the first cohort of the six-month Growth Ramp space pathway.

The new program is delivered by UniSA’s Australian Centre for Business Growth (AUCBG) in collaboration with the Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC).

It’s supported by the South Australian Space Industry Centre (SASIC) – which receives state government funding - as part of the Venture Catalyst Space Program.

The targeted program is designed for business owners, CEOs and managing directors of space companies who are looking to scale and sustainably grow their organisation.

Small space companies, and particularly startups, face significant challenges growing from specialised small firms to become fully-fledged, sustainable, growth companies, says AUCBG Director and Playford Chair of Business Growth, Professor Ryan Williams.

“We’ve designed the Growth Ramp space pathway as an innovative program where space firms can learn the skills and knowledge they need to grow and scale their companies,” Prof Williams says.

“They will share their business growth journeys with fellow space companies, creating a powerful peer learning experience and a lifelong network.”

Minister for Defence and Space Industries Stephen Mullighan says the high-quality of local space companies joining the inaugural program is another encouraging sign for the state’s space sector.

“There is huge opportunity for SA startup companies in the space industry and this program gives them a boost towards growing their business substantially in the future,” Minister Mullighan says.

Space startups looking to scale up, including those completing the ICC’s Venture Catalyst Space Program, were eligible for a fully funded place in the Growth Ramp space pathway program.

For more information about the Growth Ramp space pathway, visit the AUCBG website.

Participating companies in the Growth Ramp space pathway

AICRAFT	AICRAFT specialises in purpose-built electronics and advanced semiconductor technology to enable ultra-compact, high-speed, low power AI solutions for high-performance computing at the edge.
ESpy Ocean	ESpy Ocean provides tools for anti-poaching and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and transport vessels.
HEX20	HEX20 provides turnkey satellite mission solutions designed and delivered according to the client’s needs.
Orbital Blue	Orbital Blue build solutions for safe navigation in space orbits by developing next-generation collision avoidance capabilities.
ResearchSat	ResearchSat has a vision to revolutionise life sciences and biomedical research by harnessing the unique potential of microgravity environments for advancing human health beyond the boundaries of Earth.
Robinson Aerospace Systems	Robinson Aerospace Systems was founded to ignite passion in secondary school students and educate them about space technology, inspiring them to pursue careers in Australia's space and STEM industries.

 

About the Australian Centre for Business Growth

Established in June 2014, the Australian Centre for Business Growth (AUCBG) at the University of South Australia, part of UniSA Business, provides business owners, CEOs/MDs and executives of small and medium companies (enterprises with 5-199 employees) with the knowledge and skills they need to develop as leaders, accelerate company growth, and compete in a global marketplace. The Centre’s programs were designed, developed, and are delivered, by Growth Experts who have started, grown, and exited companies and understand the process of company growth. The programs use diagnostics, expert presentations, facilitated group discussions, peer-to-peer learning, and action planning to enable CEOs and their executive teams to learn how to lead, manage, and accelerate company growth. To date over 1,450 companies have gone through at least one program offered by the Centre and thousands more have attended webinars and workshops.

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