Seraphim has launched Seraphim Academy, a selective programme that invests £115,000 in each early-stage SpaceTech company it selects. The programme pays the investment in two funding stages and offers up to 12 months of tailored support to help founders raise capital, secure customers and scale internationally.
Seraphim Academy builds on Seraphim's experience supporting companies such as Xona Space Systems, which is developing the world's first commercial low Earth orbit satellite navigation constellation. Xona joined Seraphim's previous accelerator programme in 2019, after which Seraphim led its early funding rounds and continued to back the business as it scaled. Xona has now raised a £190 million Series D round at a £1.8 billion valuation, seven months after its £130 million Series C. Seraphim Space Investment Trust invested a further £12 million through the Series D, making Xona the Trust's second-largest portfolio holding. Seraphim positions the Academy as a way to identify similar founders early and support their journey from inception to global leadership.
The programme assesses companies on a rolling basis and tailors support to each startup's commercial priorities, funding plans and international growth ambitions. Selected companies receive £115,000 of investment and complete the core programme within four to six months, followed by up to 12 months of support across fundraising, scaling and operational growth. Support spans fundraising, commercial growth, mentoring, global connections, international partnerships and long-term access to Seraphim's networks.
On fundraising, Seraphim Academy offers direct support from Seraphim's specialist team to strengthen investment propositions, prepare professional materials and reach more than 800 co-investors spanning early stage, late stage and public markets. Commercial growth support focuses on sales, business development and international expansion, particularly in the Space and defence markets. Participating founders access experienced SpaceTech entrepreneurs and major industry players through the Prime-in-Residence programme, helping them understand customer requirements and build commercial relationships. Seraphim also offers targeted introductions to investors and corporate partners in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, expert-led sessions and access to international SpaceTech events, as well as investment-readiness initiatives such as its work with Space Florida and Florida's aerospace finance and development authority.
Seraphim's ambition is for the Academy to support up to 15 companies each year over the next decade and beyond, aiming to help them become category leaders. Across its wider platform, Seraphim has backed more than 150 companies in 33 countries, supporting 11 unicorns and six IPOs, while companies supported through its accelerator have collectively raised more than $1.7 billion. The Academy launches amid strong investment momentum, with Seraphim's Q3 2026 Space Investment Tracker recording $20 billion of investment and a record number of deals. Applications are open to pre-seed and seed-stage SpaceTech companies developing differentiated technologies for global markets.
Technologies once considered decades away are becoming commercial realities. Through the Academy, we want to help early-stage founders turn that technical potential into businesses with customers and international reach. Our ambition is to build relationships that last well beyond the programme.
