- New financing to back investment in satellites, launch technologies and space services across the European Union
- Partnership agreed ahead of the European Space Agency Space Investor Forum in Munich
- Initiative expands EIB’s Space TechEU cooperation with leading European banks to close accelerate space investment
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Deutsche Bank have agreed a new partnership to back €560 million of new investment to help European space businesses scale up, bring new technologies to market and strengthen Europe’s independent space capabilities.
This will back space businesses across the European Union and directly support companies across the space supply chain, from component manufacturers and launch technology developers to satellite applications and in-orbit services.
“Europe has the engineering talent to lead in space. Our job is to help finance its next stage of growth,” said Marc Mueller, Global Head Trade Finance & Lending at Deutsche Bank. “Working with the EIB, we can offer space businesses the long-term financing they need to invest, expand production and compete internationally.”
“This new partnership between the EIB and Deutsche Bank will help unlock investment in Germany and across Europe — backing the companies, supply chains and technologies that will make Europe’s space sector stronger, more competitive and ready to scale.” said Nicola Beer, European Investment Bank Vice-President.
“This partnership with Deutsche Bank will help companies across Europe’s space sector invest in the technologies, production capacity and supply chains needed to scale up and compete globally. In doing so, we are strengthening Europe’s capacity to deliver essential space services more autonomously,” said Robert de Groot, European Investment Bank Vice-President.”
Building on space investment needs identified by ESA
The operation also builds on cooperation between the EIB and European Space Agency to address the financing needs of Europe’s space sector. ESA provides market intelligence and sector expertise to support the development of financing solutions that reflect the needs of space SMEs and Mid-Caps and enable the space sector to access finance. It also helps connect these financing opportunities with the European space ecosystem, raising awareness among eligible companies and facilitating outreach to potential beneficiaries.
“Europe has a growing number of space companies with outstanding technologies that are ready to scale,” said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. “The next step is ensuring they have access to the capital they need to grow. This initiative can help open that path, enabling European space companies to scale up, compete and succeed.”
Agreed ahead of the European Space Agency (ESA) Space Investor Forum in Munich, the partnership brings together European public financing and commercial banking expertise to tackle a persistent obstacle to growth: access to affordable, long-term capital. The Munich forum will bring investors together with space start-ups and scale-ups on 29–30 October.
Financing growth from the factory floor to orbit
The initiative will support investment in technologies including reusable launchers and spacecraft, advanced propulsion systems, satellite manufacturing and Earth observation. These technologies underpin services ranging from communications and navigation to wildfire detection, pollution monitoring and security.
The space sector financing initiative will focus on backing investment by corporates and space companies. The financing will have a pan-European reach, with around half of investment expected in Germany and the remainder elsewhere in the EU.
Space businesses often face long development cycles, complex technologies and uncertain commercial returns, making conventional bank lending harder to secure. The partnership will give Deutsche Bank long-term funding and flexible financing structures to support commercially viable companies investing in their next stage of growth.
Building a European network for space finance
The partnership with Deutsche Bank forms part of Space TechEU, the EIB’s dedicated space financing programme, designed to mobilise an estimated €1.4 billion in investment with commercial banking partners. Working with ESA, the programme combines financing and guarantees with technical expertise to help banks expand lending across Europe’s space economy.
The programme complements broader EIB Group support through direct investment loans, venture debt, equity investment and advisory services. By combining these instruments with commercial bank lending, the Group aims to help European space companies secure financing at successive stages of development — from innovation to industrial expansion.