An active presence within Thales Alenia Space’s Space Business Catalyst
Telespazio France collaborates with the Space Business Catalyst accelerator of Thales Alenia Space, based in Toulouse and Turin. Launched in 2023 by Thales Alenia Space, the Space Business Catalyst identifies and fosters tomorrow’s markets and ecosystems through its intrapreneurship activities and open innovation collaborations with the space ecosystem, particularly SMEs and startups.
This unique industrial accelerator worldwide welcomes and supports startups from across the globe, helping them move from the concept stage to operational deployment. It also enables them to benefit from Thales Alenia Space’s technical and commercial expertise, as well as its industrial capabilities.
Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space together form the Space Alliance, a strategic partnership between the Leonardo and Thales groups, aimed at providing a comprehensive range of solutions to improve life on Earth and extend human presence in space.
As part of the Space Alliance’s momentum, Telespazio France brings emerging players its expertise in space operations and value-added services.
A commitment to Alliance NewSpace France
Already partnering with several startups through France 2030 contracts focused on access to space and in-orbit services, Telespazio France sought to extend these trusted relationships to the entire French NewSpace ecosystem.
This is why, in January, we joined Alliance NewSpace France as an industrial partner member, becoming the first non-startup player to join the Alliance.
A strategic partnership with SpaceFounders
In June, Telespazio France reached a key milestone in its strategy to support the NewSpace ecosystem with the signing of a partnership agreement with SpaceFounders SAS.
This leading European space-focused incubator was launched in 2021 by the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) and the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and was joined in 2023 by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). It benefits from privileged relationships with the European Space Agency (ESA), other major industrial players in the sector, and investment funds active in the space industry.
A collaboration with Starburst
Telespazio France is also a partner of the Starburst Accelerator 2026 program, a free 10-week program designed for French aerospace and defense startups looking to accelerate their market access.
As part of this partnership, we took part in the selection committee for the latest cohort, assessing around twenty startups developing innovative projects at the intersection of space and defense.
Innovation at the heart of our strategy
Through all these partnerships, Telespazio France reaffirms its commitment to:
- Establishing a long-term presence within the NewSpace ecosystem as a trusted operator
- Facilitating access for these emerging players to major customers such as the French defense sector, through our meta-operator offering in areas including SatCom, Earth observation, and space surveillance
- Identifying and supporting the key innovations of tomorrow
- Creating concrete collaboration opportunities with startups
Our active involvement in these initiatives represents a key driver for anticipating developments in the space sector, supporting future technological and industrial transformations, and strengthening collaboration and cohesion among all stakeholders within the French space industry.