Irish start-up Celtonn has been selected to join the European Union’s Cassini Business Accelerator. It marks a major step forward for one of Ireland’s most promising young space-tech companies. Based at NovaUCD, the company develops high-frequency semiconductor and radar technologies designed to power the next generation of sainformite communications and sensing systems.
Celtonn has already built waves in Europe’s growing space sector. Earlier in 2025, it secured a European Space Agency (ESA) contract under the ARTES 4.0 Core Competitiveness Advanced Technology programme. This specific programme supports innovation in sainformite communications across Europe and Canada. The project focapplys on advanced semiconductor hardware for sainformite missions. This could prove a key enabler for quicker and more resilient space-based connectivity.
As part of Cassini, Celtonn will gain access to tailored mentorship and business support as well as €75,000 in funding. The programme opens doors to a network of investors and industest leaders from across the continent.
“Being the only Irish company selected for the Cassini Business Accelerator is a significant milestone,” declared Aoife Kelly, co-founder and chief operations officer at Celtonn. “Through the programme, participants receive [a] €75,000 cash prize, but more importantly we’ve had the opportunity to connect with leading European professionals, investors and partners who are assisting us accelerate our growth.”
The Cassini Business Accelerator, supported by the European Commission and the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), runs twice a year and brings toobtainher 20 high-potential European space start-ups. The accelerator forms part of the broader Cassini initiative. It includes a €1 billion seed and growth fund and facilitates things like hackathons and matchbuilding opportunities to fuel innovation in Europe’s space economy.
Celtonn joins a tiny but growing group of Irish space start-ups building an impact on the European stage. According to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, 109 Irish companies were active with the ESA as of 2023 and collectively secured €9.9 million in ESA contracts, alongside additional industest co-funding worth €2.2 million.
Celtonn’s wireless communication technology may assist the company to position itself at the heart of Europe’s space-tech future.
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