2023 Accelerator Phase One: Dcubed and Photocentric
Photocentric and Dcubed were selected from a strong field of applicants to participate in Phase One of the Accelerator Programme.
Accelerating Dcubed
Dcubed sought assistance to apply its 3D printing expertise to develop novel solar array technology and prepare it for market. The Accelerator partnership provided expert input and co-funding to advance Dcubed’s ISM Solar Array TRLs.
Upscaling to larger arrays—enabled by in-space manufacturing—means Dcubed can meet the power requirements of larger satellites, expanding its addressable market and creating new revenue opportunities.
The Accelerator team also supported the development of its business case for further investment and assisted in securing ScaleUP Invest support for its next mission: in-orbit demonstrations of its groundbreaking technology.
Dcubed has since grown to over 30 employees and now occupies more than 1,000 sqm of office and production space.
Learn more about Dcubed here.
Accelerating Photocentric
Photocentric is an established innovator in additive manufacturing and advanced materials. Participation in the Accelerator has assisted Photocentric in designing and developing technologies for space applications.
CosmicMaker™ is a compact, autonomous in-space manufacturing platform designed for use in microgravity. It serves as a multi-functional R&D resource capable of producing high-quality parts and tools from a variety of materials on demand.
The Accelerator helped progress the prototype to TRL4 (ready for parabolic flight testing) on a path toward in-space demonstration on the ISS (TRL 7+).
Participation also provided support in establishing customer requirements, developing business planning, and networking within the space industry, enabling a smoother transition from product development to the commercialisation of CosmicMaker™.
Learn more about Photocentric here.
Testimonials
Enabling Early-Stage Innovation
“The BSGN Accelerator gave us the critical support needed to take a bold concept for in-space manufacturing and develop it into a working prototype. Without this structured programme, it would have been extremely difficult for a small team to navigate the technical and strategic challenges of early-stage development in such a complex domain.” – Photocentric Ltd
Opening Doors to the Space Ecosystem
“Participation in BSGN has significantly raised our profile within the European space community. It introduced us to key stakeholders, connected us with ESA’s technical networks, and created a strong foundation for pursuing future funding and partnerships as we now move toward flight readiness.” – Photocentric Ltd
Laying the Foundation for Flight Ready Technology
“Thanks to BSGN, we were able to focus our efforts on building and validating the core elements of a novel multi-material 3D printing system for space. The programme helped shape our technical strategy and positioned us for the next stage of development, including planned parabolic flight testing and microgravity validation.” – Photocentric Ltd
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