Fuel for Liftoff: Two Days of Pitching, Purpose and the Power of Community
Last week, the UK Space Agency Accelerator launched its 2025 journey with a high-energy Boot Camp at Northeastern University London - a fitting home for two days of bold ideas, entrepreneurial breakthroughs, and shared ambition.
For founders in the Explore and Leo cohorts, Boot Camp wasn’t just a welcome. It was ignition.
Day 1: Entrepreneurial Mindsets and First Pitches
Founders arrived to a buzz of anticipation (and coffee). After opening refreshments, the day began with a welcome from Ashleigh Dinter and Catherine Jones, Programme Leads, who introduced what lies ahead. Not just over the next few months, but over the course of a founder’s entrepreneurial journey.
The morning set the tone. This isn’t a tick-box accelerator. It’s a launchpad built for traction. That theme continued with Founder DNA, a powerful session from Mike Stephens, CEO of Entrepreneurial Spark and key delivery partner. Part neuroscience, part honest reflection, the session explored what it really takes to grow a venture in today’s space economy - mentally, strategically, and emotionally.
After lunch, the focus turned outwards with Find Your People, a session led by Ashleigh Dinter on customer discovery. Founders dug deep into their assumptions and practiced asking the right questions.
The afternoon brought the first wave of one-minute pitches, facilitated by Exotopic’s Dan Veal, and judged by Mike Stephens, Portia Bircher (UK Space Agency), and a guest expert. Each founder had just 60 seconds to capture their venture’s essence - a test of clarity, confidence, and connection. Alongside the judging panel, every participant took part in the feedback process, offering insights on whether the problem was clearly framed and the solution well understood.
Throughout the day, founders were supported by key delivery partners who joined sessions, shared advice, and spent time speaking with participants. These included Jo Nisbet (Harper Macleod LLP), Bruce Poston (Technia), Thomas Storey (Marks & Clerk) and the Exotopic team - Rachel Forster, Holly Worrall, and Dan Veal.
The day wrapped with a debrief and drinks, generously sponsored by Marks & Clerk. The networking flowed well into the evening, with new relationships already taking root.
Day 2: Innovation, Ecosystem and Looking Ahead
Refreshed and realigned, Day 2 opened with a quick scene-setting. Then came Unlock Mode, a session led by Ashleigh and Catherine focused on tools, support, and what’s coming next in the programme.
From there, it was time to Fix the Future. Through a collaborative Innovation Sprint, founders tackled real-world space challenges together. They put their different perspectives into motion and got a feel for how each other's strengths could shape future collaborations.
After lunch, Orbit Builders brought the ecosystem to life. Delivered by Portia Bircher and Sailesh Luchmun, the session offered founders a clearer view of the partnerships, platforms, and stakeholders that can amplify their growth. They also explored how to plug in at the right time.
The second group of founders then took the stage for their pitches, again hosted by Exotopic.
Before closing, the group reconnected with their long-term goals in a guided visioning session designed to help founders map their direction. Not just in the accelerator, but in the years to come.
Two Cohorts Begins
The Boot Camp marked the official start of the Explore and Leo cohorts within the 2025 UK Space Agency Accelerator.
The journey ahead will be challenging, but the ambition, collaboration, and clarity shown at Boot Camp suggest these founders are more than ready to take it on. They’ve launched with purpose and they’re already gaining altitude.
Applications for our other programmes - Geo and Fusion - open soon. If you're ready to scale your space venture, now is the time to get ready.