Over 100 teams competed in the ESA Startup Competition to present their business ideas to the space agency. Specifically, the competition involves leveraging technologies such as satellite data from aerospace. Participating startups presented their business proposals to ESA delegates in a virtual pitch. Over a period of two months, the startups were assessed based on their team, business model, societal relevance of the project, and the benefits and quality of their proposal. The incubation centers of the member states (for Munich) were involved in this process. ESA BIC) and ESA experts were involved.
Hawa Dawa impressed the jury and took second place. The Munich-based IoT startup has created a global platform for air purification management. It uses satellite data, ground-based measurements, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning.
ESA Startup Competition: Important milestone for Hawa Dawa
“Every suggestion makes sense and has a very positive impact on society or the environment,”
explained Eric Morel de Westgaver, ESA Director for Industry, Procurement and Legal Services, continues:
"The people behind these ideas are experts in their field who have identified opportunities in the market. Their commitment, along with the recognition and support of ESA, gives them the boost they need to make these ideas a reality."
For Karim Tarraf, Co-Founder and CEO of Hawa Dawa, the award is an honor:
"Being selected by ESA as one of the top European space tech startups is an important milestone for us. Like air, space travel knows no boundaries. Our ambition to develop concrete applications from this unlimited potential places us at the forefront of this pioneering work. We are proud to have ESA as our companion on this journey and look forward to working with them."
By winning the ESA Startup Competition, Hawa Dawa also benefits from mentoring and the ESA’s extensive network.
