Space – A Frontier Close to Home for Irish Start-ups

Sports Impact Technologies tackles sports-related head injuries using space technology

Solsign uses geospatial technology to identify optimum land for solar installations to generate renewable energy.

ServBlock utilises both Space and Blockchain technology to track materials for the pharmaceutical industry. 

 

Three Irish start-up companies have secured funding of €50k each, as well as technical, business, financial and incubation support through ESA BIC (Business Incubation Centre) Ireland. ESA BIC Ireland supports Irish companies across the business spectrum that are developing technologies using space assets or resources or solutions that can be used in space.  

Sports Impact Technologies recently joined ESA BIC Ireland and is developing a sports wearable solution that detects head impacts as they happen, in real-time. This innovative sports wearable is worn behind the ear and sends all impact data live to the coach, physio, or parent on the sideline. The technology uses numerous sensors and positioning data from the Galileo constellation of satellites.

Founder of Sports Impact Technologies, Eóin Touhy, said:

“Up to 3 million sports and recreation related concussions happen each year, and 5 in 10 concussions go unreported or undetected. Large undetected impacts can lead to second impact syndrome which can be fatal, but studies are now showing that smaller repetitive impacts can affect long term brain health. Sport has a wide range of health benefits, and our mission is to ensure that people can play with peace of mind. The help and support from ESA BIC have allowed us to utilise space technology to develop and grow our solution.”

Solsign, another recent ESA BIC Ireland recruit, uses geospatial analytics to evaluate the suitability of land for solar installations. Solsign’s accurate evaluation can directly connect sellers of vetted land plots with solar developers looking for their next project.

As the global renewable energy transition gains momentum, sourcing viable land quickly and cost-effectively has become challenging. Solsign addresses this problem through an integrated platform that harnesses the power of geospatial data, administrative records and machine learning. By analysing the solar viability of land plots across parameters like terrain, infrastructure access, legal permissions and more, Solsign identifies and screens the suitability of sites for solar projects.

Founder & CEO of Solsign, Mattan Lass, said:

“Our mission is to accelerate and optimise land sourcing for renewable energy projects globally. The partnership with ESA BIC Ireland has allowed us to unlock renewable energy potential in under-served markets like the Balkans, where land data is fragmented. Our scalable, location-agnostic technology provides a comprehensive solution to land scouting obstacles, acting as a catalyst for realizing untapped solar capacity.”

Led by a team of legal, geospatial and renewables experts, Solsign is poised to revolutionize how the solar industry discovers land opportunities.

Irish blockchain and pharmaceutical compliance company, ServBlock, is another ESA BIC Ireland company. ServBlock provides a reliable and secure solution for location verification for pharmaceutical companies.

Transparent and verified sourcing of raw materials is a significant and ongoing issue, and the absence of reliable systems to trace the origins of raw materials leaves room for fraud and counterfeit materials. It can also pose significant risks to product quality, patient safety, and regulatory compliance, while also leading to substantial economic losses.

ServBlock combines robust blockchain technology with state-of-the-art space technologies to offer an unmatched solution for the verification and traceability of raw materials in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Director of ServBlock, John Ward, said:

“The ESA BIC Ireland funding supports the development and refinement of ServBlock's innovative technology, creating a reliable and secure solution for location verification across various industries. This technology is set to revolutionize the way businesses handle location data, providing enhanced trust and transparency, and mitigating risk.”

To date, ESA BIC Ireland has supported 35 companies across Ireland to realise their potential by utilising or developing space technology. Space, a sector growing at an exponential rate, is predicted to be worth $1.3 trillion globally by 2030.  

ESA BIC Ireland is one of 29 ESA BIC Networks operating across ESA Member States.

Irish companies that can demonstrate a connection with space and which are less than five years old can apply to ESA BIC Ireland on a year-round basis.  The next application deadline is Friday, October 27^th. Further information on ESA BIC Ireland can be found at https://www.esaspacesolutions.ie/