Helping technology start-ups expand their professional networkThe most valuable resource in the world is time. The ESA BIC Harwell is supporting award-winning start-up company iGeolise in developing a new online application, ‘Travel Time’, which will revolutionise the way in which people search for any geographic location online.

The challenge

iGeolise is a start-up company that has created an innovative online platform which allows people to filter searches for geographic location by time rather than distance. The best way for iGeolise to market this technology was to become a business to business (B2B) company, but raising a company profile to the right audiences and markets can be both challenging and expensive for small businesses. As a busy high-tech start-up operating in the B2B market, iGeolise wanted to build their network of contacts with specialist expertise and needed to identify a method to significantly raise awareness of their company and attract customers.

The solution

The ESA BIC Harwell, managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), is part of a strong high-tech innovation community which is home to many world-leading research

organisations and commercial companies. This environment has surrounded iGeolise with new prospects to explore which have enabled their company to grow. Through their incubation at the ESA BIC Harwell, iGeolise has had many opportunities to gain exposure to a broader audience at high profile showcase and network events and through external visits to the Centre and wider Harwell Oxford campus.

The benefits

The combination of ambition, drive and the support provided by the ESA BIC Harwell has seen iGeolise gain valuable contacts, expand their network and secure strategically important customer contracts including one with the UK’s largest estate agency group.

During their time at the ESA BIC Harwell, iGeolise has been able to introduce themselves to a range of potential new investors and key government stakeholders.

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About usThe ESA Business Incubation Centre Harwell (ESA BIC Harwell) provides entrepreneurs and start-ups with access to funding, technical expertise and business support to transform space technologies and systems into vibrant non-space businesses.

Part of ESA’s thriving Europe-wide network of Business Incubation Centres, ESA BIC Harwell is managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and draws on both organisations’ outstanding track record in business incubation – providing a unique

environment perfectly engineered to accelerate innovation and unlock commercial potential. Each year we support up to 10 start-ups working in sectors including healthcare, energy, agriculture, digital technology and defence.

To find out how you can join us: Tel: +44 (0)1235 446 075 Email: enquiries@esa-bic.org.uk Twitter: @stfc_b2b #esabicharwell

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“In the time that we’ve been at the ESA BIC Harwell, STFC has organised for us to present our

Travel Time platform to a number of people from government

including a Cabinet Minister and the Treasury, and even appear

on peak time ITV. Without their help, this simply wouldn’t have

happened. Being part of the ESA BIC Harwell has also given us

easy access to specialist expertise – there may well be more brain

power per square yard in Harwell than anywhere else in the UK.”

Peter Lilley, Director, iGeolise

w w w . e s a - b i c . o r g . u k

About usThe ESA Business Incubation Centre Harwell (ESA BIC Harwell) provides entrepreneurs and start-ups with access to funding, technical expertise and business support to transform space technologies and systems into vibrant non-space businesses.

Part of ESA’s thriving Europe-wide network of Business Incubation Centres, ESA BIC Harwell is managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and draws on both organisations’ outstanding track record in business incubation – providing a unique

environment perfectly engineered to accelerate innovation and unlock commercial potential. Each year we support up to 10 start-ups working in sectors including healthcare, energy, agriculture, digital technology and defence.

To find out how you can join us: Tel: +44 (0)1235 446 075 Email: enquiries@esa-bic.org.uk Twitter: @stfc_b2b #esabicharwell

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Supporting start-ups to transform an idea into business realityThe European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre Harwell (ESA BIC Harwell) has provided unique support to Saïd Business School spin-out Oxford Space Structures, to help turn their competition winning idea into a marketable product.

The challenge

Current travel cots are heavy and difficult to transport, making travelling around with them challenging for many parents. Start-up company Oxford Space Structures is using technology developed for ESA’s Alphasat mission to deploy satellites in space, to exploit this gap in the market by creating an innovative, lightweight and easy to put up travel cot. As a spin-out of the Saïd Business School, Oxford Space Structures successfully applied to the ESA BIC Harwell after winning a ‘hackathon’ style event for students called Future Business Pre-Incubator. However, to transform this idea into a commercial business, Oxford Space Structures needed access to business support, funding and contacts- which can often be difficult and time-consuming to secure.

The solution

Through the ESA BIC Harwell’s support package and the networking opportunities at Harwell Oxford, Oxford

Space Structures has gained valuable opportunities to access business skills workshops on areas such as intellectual property (IP) and strategy, to help them develop their design further into a physically marketable product. The close links with ESA also enabled the company to gain additional support from ESA’s IP/technology inventors in the Netherlands to better understand the technology and the advantages and drawbacks of incorporating it into the product. They have had the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Delft, Netherlands to gain additional support which has benefited their business.

The benefits

Since joining the ESA BIC Harwell and accessing these opportunities, Oxford Space Structures has grown rapidly. The support they have accessed has enabled them to expand their team, enhance their reputation through their association with ESA and secure investment and technical partners. As a result, they have been able to develop their design concept into a product which is now on the market which provides a lighter, simpler and easier alternative for parents.

w w w . e s a - b i c . o r g . u k

About usThe ESA Business Incubation Centre Harwell (ESA BIC Harwell) provides entrepreneurs and start-ups with access to funding, technical expertise and business support to transform space technologies and systems into vibrant non-space businesses.

Part of ESA’s thriving Europe-wide network of Business Incubation Centres, ESA BIC Harwell is managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and draws on both organisations’ outstanding track record in business incubation – providing a unique

environment perfectly engineered to accelerate innovation and unlock commercial potential. Each year we support up to 10 start-ups working in sectors including healthcare, energy, agriculture, digital technology and defence.

To find out how you can join us: Tel: +44 (0)1235 446 075 Email: enquiries@esa-bic.org.uk Twitter: @stfc_b2b #esabicharwell

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Solving technical challenges for life-saving businessesOne of the biggest fears for a diver is to resurface out of sight of the dive boat. With access to the world-class expertise available at the ESA BIC Harwell through STFC’s RAL Space, Sci Tech (POB) Ltd has designed a device that allows the boat to track the position of resurfaced divers through a GPS-enabled signalling device.

The challenge

Sci-Tech (POB) Ltd is a young company that came to the ESA Business Incubation Centre Harwell (ESA BIC Harwell) after becoming the first ever triple winners of the 2008 European Satellite Navigation Competition. They had developed a large prototype device, which they aimed to miniaturise in order to better integrate it with diving equipment. The system enables the dive boat to continuously track divers as they surface so they can be quickly and efficiently retrieved. Divers can also activate an alert if they are in difficulty. This alarm can be detected by any compatible system in range, maximising survival chances for the casualty. The device is also synchronised with existing maritime navigation systems, making it easy to use. The challenge Sci-Tech (POB) faced was getting the signal to work over long range without interference – a vital requirement for a technology that could be the difference between life and death for the user.

The solution

Becoming part of the ESA BIC Harwell allowed Sci-Tech (POB) to gain access to technical support from the STFC, which manages the centre on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). The company worked with experts from STFC’s RAL Space, who identified interference from the surface of the water as the main factor causing the disruption. This allowed Sci-Tech (POB) to combat the problem by deploying the device on specialised diving equipment, allowing it sufficient height above the water to minimise any potential interference. This enables the location of the diver to be pinpointed successfully over greater distances.

The benefits

By utilising the expertise and facilities available to them as part of the business incubation package from ESA BIC Harwell, Sci-Tech (POB) reduced research and development time and brought their product closer to market at a reduced experimental cost. Through the ESA BIC Harwell, the company has also benefited from business and marketing support (via the GrowthAccelerator scheme), which will be used to attract further funding. Being part of the ESA BIC also allowed the start-up to create invaluable new contacts and continue refining their product.