The European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) is the largest network of incubators supporting space related start-ups in Europe, designed to support entrepreneurs who leverage space technology to create innovative solutions. Black Pine Ventures helped founders with crafting GTM strategy tailored to this unique field.
Challenge
Startups operating at the cutting edge of space innovation face a unique set of challenges when it comes to commercialisation. Despite groundbreaking technology and visionary ideas, many early-stage ventures in this sector struggle to identify international market opportunities, build a scalable go-to-market strategy, or land their first set of key customers. The European Space Agency’s Space Business Innovation Center (ESA BIC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, recognized this gap and sought to equip its portfolio of entrepreneurs with practical tools to successfully navigate international sales and strategic partnerships.
Approach
We delivered an interactive, hands-on workshop designed to help space-tech founders build a disciplined go-to-market strategy and strengthen their international sales capabilities. The session covered identifying and segmenting target markets, refining value propositions, structuring a scalable sales process, and selecting the right acquisition channels. Through tailored exercises and real-world examples, participants gained practical tools to position their solutions effectively and start building commercial traction beyond their local ecosystem.
Outcome
The training empowered space-tech entrepreneurs with a clear framework for approaching international markets. Founders left the session with practical insights on how to position their product, structure sales conversations, and identify strategic acquisition channels. More importantly, they gained the confidence to move beyond early R&D conversations and into structured commercial discussions with international customers and partners.
