60thStart-up Emerges from Incubator

Start-up space technology company Ridersmate has celebrated its graduation from the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC UK), based at the Harwell Campus. Managed and co-funded by STFC since 2011 the ESA BIC UK has supported 67 start-ups using space and satellite technology to develop new products and services, with an impressive survival rate of 94% and collectively raising over £40 million in investment to date.

The 60th company to arise from the ESA BIC UK, Ridersmate ,has been using satellite technology in combination with a bespoke coding system to develop a wearable tracker –eCall Marine- for use at sea.

Activated either by pressing the emergency button or automatically by contact with water, the tracker will directly notify the emergency services of an incident at sea and provide an immediate two-way voice conversation with the caller from anywhere in the world. Constant updates on the exact coordinates of the incident, along with the temperature, direction and speed of the current will enable responders to pinpoint exactly not only where the victim was, but where he will be at point of rescue, eliminating the need for endless hours of search.

David Coleman Director and Founder of Ridersmate said: “When we first pitched the idea of eCall Marine, we were told it couldn’t be done. However, thanks to the opportunity we have had to be part of the ESA BIC UK, we have proved our concept, carried out successful trials and are gearing up to launch. The costs involved in bringing a product to market from scratch are high and very time consuming and for this reason ideas often go no further than the ‘garden shed’. Financial support has been a huge element, but the support we’ve had has been so much more than that. Office space, a start-up environment and funding advice combined with business and patent support have been invaluable. Thank you ESA BIC UK for supporting our idea and helping us bring it out of the garden shed!”