The ISS National Laboratory launches the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator for a second year, funding and mentoring early-stage space startups with access to low Earth orbit and private capital, in collaboration with existing and new investors and sponsors.

Partners for the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator include returning investors Cook Inlet Region, Inc., E2MC, Stellar Ventures, along with new supporters Context Ventures, Draper Associates, and Draper University.

Registration is open for Orbital Edge events, including networking sessions in Cambridge, MA, and Palo Alto, CA, plus an informational webinar, with more details and applications available on the program’s website.

Selected participants will compete for the Boeing-sponsored Technology in Space Prize, offering up to $100,000 in non-dilutive funding, supported by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space and Boeing.

The program aims to accelerate market-ready technologies across deep tech and dual-use sectors—such as AI, robotics, therapeutics, materials, and advanced manufacturing—by leveraging space-enabled R&D to bring products to market faster.

Leadership emphasizes that Orbital Edge provides access to capital, orbit, and strategic partnerships to help ideas become scalable space-enabled businesses.

Each selected startup will receive between $500,000 and $750,000 in private funding, in addition to access to orbital flight platforms, mentorship, and programming focused on spaceflight tech development and business building.

The 2026 accelerator features two tracks: the Sentinel Track for space technologies and dual-use applications, and the Disrupt Track for in-space manufacturing and space biology opportunities.

Orbital Edge representatives will attend the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs (April 13–16) to engage with potential participants and partners, with meetings arranged via email.

The Orbital Edge Accelerator is managed by the ISS National Laboratory through CASIS, which facilitates non-NASA science and private-sector access to the ISS to mature space-based business models.

Additional information and applications are available on the Orbital Edge Accelerator website and related press materials.