EIB and Deutsche Bank launch €560 million partnership to power Europe’s space businesses
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
LUXEMBOURG/FRANKFURT — 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.
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank provides retail and private banking, corporate and transaction banking, lending, asset and wealth management products and services as well as focused investment banking to private individuals, small and medium-sized companies, corporations, governments and institutional investors. Deutsche Bank is the leading bank in Germany with strong European roots and a global network.
EIB Group
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees, securitisation and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.
With the support of all 27 EU governments, the EIF has joined forces with institutional investors in a pan-European alliance to mobilise up to €80 billion for investment into innovative companies scaling up to become global leaders. The joint effort will expand the size and scope of the highly successful European Tech Champions Initiative, which has helped create 15 European mega-funds and scale 50 companies, including 15 unicorns, since being established three years ago.
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LUXEMBOURG/FRANKFURT — 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.
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank provides retail and private banking, corporate and transaction banking, lending, asset and wealth management products and services as well as focused investment banking to private individuals, small and medium-sized companies, corporations, governments and institutional investors. Deutsche Bank is the leading bank in Germany with strong European roots and a global network.
EIB Group
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees, securitisation and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.
With the support of all 27 EU governments, the EIF has joined forces with institutional investors in a pan-European alliance to mobilise up to €80 billion for investment into innovative companies scaling up to become global leaders. The joint effort will expand the size and scope of the highly successful European Tech Champions Initiative, which has helped create 15 European mega-funds and scale 50 companies, including 15 unicorns, since being established three years ago.
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