In collaboration with Amazon Web Services, Bayanat, and Planet, the UAE Space Agency announced the launch of the Space Startup Pitch Competition – Sustainability for and from Space, as part of the Vista Space Challenge at the Dubai Airshow. Vista is the region’s only dedicated platform for startups in the industry. The deadline to apply for the competition is October 19.

The competition’s primary goal is to provide startups from across the globe with a platform to showcase groundbreaking solutions aimed at addressing climate change and enhancing the sustainability of Earth’s resources through harnessing space technologies. Additionally, it seeks to nurture AI projects dedicated to analyzing space-related data and offering enduring solutions for sustaining space missions, while also addressing environmental challenges here on Earth.

The UAE Space Agency invites startups whose solutions look to combine one or more elements of climate, sustainability, mobility, space situational awareness, and earth observation imagery to meet sustainability goals and environmental challenges.

The competition offers startups an opportunity to pitch their projects by 19 October, 2023. After which they would be evaluated and shortlisted. Finalists, who will be notified on 23 October, will be asked to deliver a pitch on stage at the Dubai Airshow on 13 November. The top three winners will receive valuable monetary prizes in addition to an ample of benefits:

• AWS business and technical mentorship from space and startup industry experts with AWS Promotional Credits.
• UAE Space Agency & Bayanat: Access to the market through Geospatial Analytics Platform/Space Data Centre and the promotion of the innovative solutions during COP28.
• Planet mentorship from space experts, training materials and training for satellite data building algorithm.

The UAE Space Agency, Bayanat, and Planet will offer mentorship and training in satellite imagery and AI-based solutions for the winners, in addition to helping them access the market through the Geospatial Analytics Platform-Space Data Center, and offering them a chance to promote their innovative solutions during COP28 in Expo City Dubai in November and December, 2023.

Those wishing to participate can submit online here: https://go.dubaiairshow.aero/l/715553/2023-10-09/27pyyb, with a PowerPoint presentation describing the startup, the problem it is solving, and the innovative solution they are building to solve it.

Applications will be assessed by a diverse team of judges from the UAE Space Agency, Amazon Web Services, Bayanat, and Planet, against the following criteria: Team, Technical Innovation, Business Plan, and Impact/Sustainability.

For more information or to register in the competition, please click on the following link: https://www.dubaiairshow.aero/pitch-competition

The UAE Space Agency signed multiple partnership agreements for implementing a sustainable, competitive economy based on knowledge, expertise and diversity. These partnerships were made with Bayanat to develop and operate a geospatial analytics platform for satellite data ecosystem, Planet Labs to build a satellite data-driven loss and damage atlas for global climate resilience, and Amazon Web Services to support the space sector and data management.