The Israeli company Creation-Space, which deals in supporting technological developments in the field of deep space, is launching for the first time in Israel a unique accelerator for startups, for their inclusion in the Artemis program of the NASA space agency for the settlement of the moon in the coming years - and subsequently for the first step on Mars.
The EXPAND accelerator is intended for startups at the beginning of their journey in fields such as robotics, materials, construction, food and health technologies, who are interested in learning how their developments may respond to space missions, while creating a lever for development and prestige for the national market as well. Registration for the program opened on April 15, when about a month and a half later the selected ventures will participate in the celebratory opening event at Mitzpe Ramon, Israel's city of space and stars.
The accelerator, launched in partnership with the TECH-7 innovation community and with the support of the Jewish National Fund USA and the American investment fund CreationsVC, will provide startups with mentoring and close business support from renowned experts with in-depth knowledge of the space industry, as well as professional workshops that will provide the tools necessary for success and presentation to potential investors. The winning startup will receive a scientific-technological grant in the amount of NIS 100,000.
"In Israel, known as the Start-up Nation, lies a tremendous and unrealized potential to make a significant contribution to the global campaign to break the boundaries of the human race beyond the borders of the earth," explains Dr. Roi Naor, founder of Creation-Space, who previously researched at the Weizmann Institute and at NASA the geology of Mars. "Among other things, it is about developing technologies that will be used to build the infrastructure and systems for manned space missions, and in the future to develop solutions for the settlement of the moon and Mars for a significant and sustainable period of time."