What is BLAST?
BLAST is the first French accelerator for Deeptech projects in Aeronautics, Space and Defense (ASD). The program supports promising young startups right from the market exploration phase. It is a vehicle built on public-private partnership that ensures an effective return on public investment by stimulating and attracting private capital, while collectively advancing state-of-the-art solutions designed to address future needs and accelerate the delivery of innovative technologies to market.
The program aims to support 5 aerospace startups per year. The common ambition of the program is to create a robust and innovative ecosystem at the cutting edge of Deeptech technologies, unlocking new capabilities that positively impact a qualified market while leveraging a collaborative global approach.
A COLLABORATION OF
BLAST accelerates projects on…
Aviation
Space
Defense
Enabling technologies
A program based on modules.
MARKET CLASS
Gain access to Starburst’s expertise on the specificities and key trends of the aerospace and defense markets in the coming years, helping you accelerate your market exploration and identify the most valuable segments.
Leader: Starburst
EXPERTISE AND TEST MEANS
Benefit from access to the X-Fab, prototyping workshops and testing platforms to accelerate technology maturation. Receive up to 100 hours of coaching provided by ONERA's best experts. On-demand use of test facilities and knowledge from its laboratories.
Leader: Ecole polytechnique & ONERA
CUSTOMIZED COACHING
A dedicated X-UP start-up manager is on hand, as is an experienced entrepreneur-in-residence. A public-speaking expert, a non-dilutive financing expert and legal experts are regularly involved. Starburst provide dedicated ASD office hours to address hot topics, support market validation, analyze and identify key insights for critical decision-making, and guide strategic direction.
Leader: Ecole polytechnique and Starburst
COLLECTIVE JOURNEY AND SESSIONS
You'll be part of a class of 9-12 entrepreneurs in an incubator of 50 start-ups. Housed at the Drahi-X Novation Center, at the heart of the École polytechnique campus, you’ll have a shared co-working space reserved for incubated start-ups. You will live your journey with the whole batch . With bimonthly collective sessions and informal events (CEO talks, thematics lunch…), you’ll have the opportunity to develop your entrepreneurial posture, leadership, time management and stress management, and resolve problem situations. Besides, Starburst enables you to confront your ideas with market reality from day one and build solutions that directly address ASD French and European market.
Leader: Ecole polytechnique & Starburst
ECOSYSTEM DISCOVERY
Help project leaders to strengthen their knowledge of the local and national ecosystem with dedicated
networking actions.
Means: Learning expeditions and networking events.
Leader: Starburst
WORSKHOPS
To keep pace with your progress throughout the program, a series of themed workshops is organized for each phase to help you make intensive progress on the key issues that will structure your business (1 to 2 workshop per week).
Leader: Ecole Polytechnique
ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLASS
Participation in the Polytechnique-HEC Master dedicated to Deeptech entrepreneurship, to understand the fundamentals of the creation and life of a start-up.
Module leader: Ecole Polytechnique
MARKET CLASS
Access to Starburst's knowledge on the specificities and major trends of the aerospace and defense markets for the years to come
Module leader: Starburst
EXPERTISE AND TEST MEANS
Access to 100 hours of coaching provided by ONERA's best experts. Use of test facilities and knowledge from its laboratories.
Module leader: ONERA
The BLAST Timeline.
Powered by:
© BLAST 2025
