AI-enabled EO concepts for civilian protection
The 2nd ESA Φ-lab Grand Marathon called on innovators to design next-generation Earth Observation concepts for resilience and humanitarian support in conflict or disaster areas.
- Sector
- Earth observation & civilian protection
- TRL
- Any stage, from research to market
- Deadline
- Closed
General context
Civilian populations, including children and adolescents, in conflict and disaster zones are exposed to sudden, short-lived events: explosions, fires, toxic emissions, or flare-like signals marking renewed hostilities. These events often go undetected by conventional Earth Observation (EO) systems because they are too fast, too unpredictable, or generate too much data for timely processing.
ESA Φ-lab Grand Marathon 2025 invited innovators from companies, agencies, NGOs and other institutions to design next-generation EO concepts dedicated to resilience and humanitarian support in conflict or disaster areas. The aim was to move beyond traditional satellites and experiment with how EO can unlock faster, smarter crisis monitoring from space.
Discover the finalists
Earthpulse
Blending EO and AI to provide trusted, explainable insights via maps and APIs for risk, ESG and operations, plus event-driven hazard monitoring that detects short-lived threats in minutes.
Zero Gravity
Pioneering Europe’s first high-resolution (3.5–10 m) thermal imaging satellite payload for urban monitoring, infrastructure diagnostics, and renewable energy resilience.
Prometheus Space Technologies
Leveraging AI & multilayered sensor fusion – including satellite and terrestrial data – to transform complex geospatial inputs into actionable climate and risk intelligence for businesses and institutions.
Were you developing solutions linked to these topics?
Any startup, company, agency, NGO or institution developing Earth Observation solutions to protect civilians in disaster and public-safety contexts, preferably with a focus on projects benefiting children and adolescents.
Event-focused sensors and platforms
Detecting heat flashes, fire fronts, chemical plumes and structural change, with tiered coverage from satellites to HAPS and UAVs for near-real-time verification.
Edge processing
Low-latency inference models run on-satellite, on-UAV or on any edge device, to prioritise burst detection and reduce alert times.
Data fusion and smart delivery
Combining optical, IR, SAR and RF data with in-situ streams to raise confidence, and delivering actionable reports for field and non-technical users.
AI monitoring and automated reporting
AI/ML methods detecting short-lived signals and small targets, with smart tasking, automated alerts and integration into humanitarian decision-support systems.
Who could apply?
Any stage of product development, from research to commercialisation, was eligible for the Marathon.
Based in an ESA member state
Applicants had to be from an ESA member state, including Associate and Cooperating Members under current ESA rules.
Open to all types of organisations
Research projects, companies of all types (from early-stage startups to established companies), agencies, NGOs and other institutions.
Compact, scalable and field-ready
AI-enabled EO concepts to detect, characterise or confirm short-lived hazards such as explosions, fires, toxic emissions or rapid infrastructure damage.
Powered by AI and novel sensors
AI/ML, on-board or edge processing, novel sensors or smart tasking, delivering near-real-time, trusted information for humanitarian agencies and civil protection actors.
Business and real-life potential
Showing a clear potential for business and real-life applications.
What runners benefited from
Prizes were cumulative and awarded at each milestone of the Marathon.
Substantial prize pool
Up to €215K for the 1st runner, up to €65K for the 2nd and up to €15K for the 3rd.
Global exposure
Pitch your solution to an international audience on stage at the Hello Tomorrow Summit in Amsterdam (11–12 June 2026).
International presence
Gain prestige and recognition by presenting at an upcoming official ESA event.
Expert coaching
Receive exclusive coaching from Hello Tomorrow’s experts and refine your pitch.
Unparalleled networking
Engage directly with ESA Φ-lab’s leading network of Earth Observation experts.
A marathon in 42 km
A progressive competition with cumulative prizes, from 22 October 2025 (Km 0) to 12 June 2026 (Km 42). Each milestone marked a new stage, just like checkpoints in a marathon.
Applications open
Applicants submit a 5-page business plan outlining the concept of their idea.
Ask Me Anything webinar
A live session at 16:00 CET to answer all questions about the Grand Marathon.
First deliverable
The 3 selected runners create a detailed, 25-page proposal of the concept, including a comprehensive business plan.
3 runners pitch
Participation & pitching at CommEO, Seville.
The 2 remaining runners develop a first MVP using EO test data, including algorithms and AI models.
2 runners continue
Winner announcement at the Hello Tomorrow Summit, Amsterdam.
Grand winner announced
Winner pitching at the ESA Academy, Belgium.The final runners showcase a high-fidelity version of the full solution with real-case scenarios, and the grand winner is announced.
In collaboration with
ESA Φ-lab
ESA Φ-lab accelerates the future of Earth Observation through disruptive innovation and commercialisation, managing the full innovation cycle with financial, technical and business support.
Save the Children
Save the Children is dedicated to improving children’s lives and ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive. The winning solutions will collaborate with Save the Children to explore opportunities for implementing them in future initiatives.
UP42
UP42 is a geospatial data platform that enables businesses to access, acquire, process, and analyse satellite and aerial imagery from multiple providers through a single, integrated solution.
Your questions about the Grand Marathon
Any other question? Contact our Project Coordinator, Federico Mentoni (federico.mentoni@hello-tomorrow.org).
Who could apply?
Any startup, company, agency, NGO or institution from an ESA member state (including Associate and Cooperating Members) developing Earth Observation solutions to protect civilians. Research projects were welcome, at any stage of development.
What did applicants need to submit?
A 5-page business plan outlining the concept of the proposed idea.
What deliverables did the runners produce?
A 25-page proposal with a business plan for the 3 selected runners, a first MVP using EO test data for the 2 remaining runners, and a high-fidelity version of the full solution for the final runners.
How were the prizes awarded?
Prizes were cumulative: up to €215K for the 1st runner, up to €65K for the 2nd and up to €15K for the 3rd. The grand winner was announced at Km 42.
Who can I contact for more information?
Our Project Coordinator, Federico Mentoni (federico.mentoni@hello-tomorrow.org).
Explore past calls
See the open innovation calls we have run with corporations and public partners.
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L'Oréal GSI Startup Call 2026
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ASML Emerging Innovator Award 2026
A global contest by ASML for startups building breakthrough technologies for next-generation high-tech and complex systems.
Spartners Incubator Startup Call
Human health and biotech startups invited to join the Spartners incubator by Servier and BioLabs in Paris-Saclay, with labs and expert support.
Applications are closed
The 2025 Grand Marathon looked for AI-enabled Earth Observation concepts for civilian protection. Discover our open calls or contact us to hear about the next ones.