Space is now critical national infrastructure, underpinning connectivity, navigation and timing, climate and environmental monitoring, and national security. Around 18% of the UK’s GDP is reliant on this invisible infrastructure, and many tech companies will rely on space to enable their products and services.

Wide-ranging, open innovation funding has made the UK one of the best places in the world to start and grow a space business. The UK space sector is rapidly evolving and maturing, from just 3 companies responsible for over 80% of revenues in 2006 to 53 companies today.

Despite this, UK space businesses, like other frontier tech sectors, still face challenges to bridging the critical “valley of death” in early-stage financing, and to scale up to generate sustained revenue and become profitable.

This panel will explore how founders, investors and policymakers can help space businesses overcome the scale-up gap, unlock capital, and grow sustainably.