Brussels, Hong Kong, Montreal, Munich, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toulouse, Washington D.C. [September 18, 2024] – Organized by Novaspace, a merger between Euroconsult and SpaceTec Partners, the 27th edition of World Space Business Week concluded by recognizing startup innovation in Finspace and top achievements in the field of Earth Observation.
The annual Excellence in Earth Observation awards recognize achievements in commercial endeavours and technological innovation. A shortlist of candidates was evaluated by a panel of industry experts based on rigorous criteria. Winners accepted their award in a final ceremony at World Space Business Week in front of a large audience of 1,400+ delegates, from over 500 space organizations and representing more than 50 countries worldwide.
This year’s Excellence in Earth Observation Awards were presented to the following companies across four distinct categories:
Blacksky secured the Leading EO Business Award
Blacksky, is a leading space-based intelligence company delivering high frequency Earth Observation imagery, analytics for military intelligence operations, disaster response management, environmental monitoring and an increasing range of new applications. Blacksky’s space platform has responsive capabilities allowing imagery delivery in delivering imagery in as little as one orbit, enabling the company to provide market leadership in commercial space intelligence, helping drive the sector forward through innovation.
“BlackSky is honored to receive the Novaspace 2024 Leading Earth Observation Business Award at the World Space Business Week. This recognition is only possible with the collective passion and commitment displayed every day by the entire BlackSky team as we lead the Earth observation industry into a new era of dynamic, real-time, low latency monitoring. BlackSky delivers industry-leading speed, frequency and scale through innovative constellation design and a dedication to end-to-end AI-driven system automation. Our software-first approach has made space more accessible for nations seeking sovereign, space-based intelligence capabilities and is reshaping how customers see and understand the most important security and economic events in our world.”
Lyn Chassagne, SVP, Marketing & Customer Experience
NorthStar secured the Sustainable Development & Business Award
NorthStar has dedicated itself to sustainable initiatives and a safer space environment through pioneering the first Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellite constellation. With its data driven approach providing a space traffic control, NorthStar is also growing its Earth Intelligence aspect to provide actionable insights to support the monitoring of sustainable natural capital across agriculture, forestry and greenhouse gas emissions.
Srinivas Setty, General Manager of NorthStar Earth & Space S.à.r.l.
“We are honored to receive the WSBW 2024 Sustainable Development & Business Award from Novaspace, whose leadership and insights help foster sustainability in the space sector. This award underscores the importance of global collaboration to develop the capabilities needed to tackle the pressing challenges facing our space environment.
NorthStar’s space-based SSA system is a breakthrough in Space Domain Awareness, detecting and tracking resident space objects (RSOs) across all near-Earth orbits and filling critical gaps left by current systems. Our steadfast investors, partners, collaborators and our dedicated team of subject matter experts work tirelessly to deliver best-in-class space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities to ensure safe and secure operations in space. By providing critical insights for mission planning and decision-making, we protect the future of space exploration and infrastructure.
On behalf of the NorthStar team, I express our deep gratitude for this recognition. As we innovate and strategize to shape the future of Space, we must be mindful of the next generation and the space sector they inherit.”
SI Analytics collected the Newcomer Information Business Award
Blending Earth Observation data with its innovative Artificial Intelligence solution, SI Analytics actively contributes to solving global environmental, economic and social challenges. Their latest weather intelligence solution will address weather data inequity and improve accuracy of weather predictions using AI, specifically in underserved areas. Its overall aim is to minimize climate change damage.
“It is a great honor for us to receive the ‘Newcomer EO Operator’ Award at the World Space Business Week. This accolade acknowledges our significant contribution to addressing numerous global challenges through Earth observation. Our mission has always been to solve Earth’s issues from a space-based perspective. We firmly believe that comprehensive insights derived from Earth observation can lead to global decision-making. By leveraging our advanced AI technology, we continuously provide valuable insights to our partners and customers. The economic and social significance of satellite imagery analytics is expanding as satellite data finds applications across various sectors, including defense, intelligence, economics, finance, weather, environment, and infrastructure. Our commitment to this cause remains steadfast, and we will persist in our efforts until our solutions are globally recognized and utilized to resolve the pressing issues facing our planet.”
Taegyun Jeon, President & CEO
D-Orbit earned the Pioneer Space Business Award
D-Orbit, an Italian space logistics company, secured one of the largest funding rounds of any European based space tech company of over $100 Million Euros to expand its operation capabilities. With this investment, D-Orbit plans to expand its in-orbit services, using its orbital transfer vehicles to provide “last-mile” delivery services of payloads for a more accurately placed service, helping enable a trillion dollar space economy.
“We are honored to receive this Award of Excellence from Euroconsult. It stands as a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our entire team. This recognition fuels our long-standing commitment to contribute to the growth and the evolution of the space industry. Thank you for believing in D-Orbit and our vision.”
Luca Rossettini, CEO
Friday’s awards also recognize startup innovation in the annual and highly anticipated Finspace pitch competition. Since 2017, the award is given to emerging and promising startups who demonstrate exceptional and innovative ideas in space tech. The expert judging panel consisted of extensive financial and market experience backgrounds, with ThrustMe CEO & Founder, Ane Aanesland, Seraphim Capital Managing Director, Mark Boggett, Promus Ventures Managing Partner Mike Collett, SpaceResources.Iu Member of Advisory Board Jean-Jacques Dordain, and Novaspace CEO Pacôme Révillon. The Finspace competition offers a unique opportunity for networking and future partnerships as well as with the prestige of recognition alongside previous winners.
The winner of this year’s Finspace Competition was Odysseus Space. Founded in 2019 in Luxembourg, Odysseus Space began as a consultancy for small-scale missions before shifting to developing space-to-ground laser communication technology. Odysseus Space aims to revolutionize space connectivity and data transmission capabilities through their groundbreaking Cyclops™ solution. Their technology enables high-speed, secure, and reliable communication between all human assets in space and on Earth.
“We are thrilled for this distinguished recognition from the Finspace competition amidst a cadre of groundbreaking startups, and grateful for the invaluable support, encouragement, and feedback from an accomplished panel of judges, representing the best of business and space leaders in Europe. I can’t overstate my gratitude towards my team, whose daily dedication to reducing the complexity and cost of space-to-ground laser communications is second to none, as we strive to make high-speed, secure data transfer accessible to all satellite operators. Novaspace’s market analysis tools have been essential in refining our go-to-market strategy. Together with our investors, partners, and customers, our team is over the moon to continue our mission of providing lightspeed connectivity everywhere in the solar system.”
Dr. Jordan Vannitsen, CEO and co-founder of Odysseus Space
The annual World Space Business Week Awards are presented to the best innovations in Satellite Communications, Earth Observation and Finspace startups.
