Aureon Space Systems Becomes First Japanese Company Selected for ESRIC Start-up Support Programme Phase 1

Aureon Space Systems Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo; CEO: Atsutaka Wakamoto; hereinafter "Aureon"), a startup focused on deep space resource development, is pleased to announce its selection for the "Start-up Support Programme Phase 6 (SSP6)" hosted by the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC), becoming the first Japanese company to achieve this milestone.

### About ESRIC and SSP ESRIC is the world's only innovation center dedicated to space resources, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).

The Start-up Support Programme (SSP) is ESRIC's commercialization arm, selecting startups globally that aim to realize space resource development. It provides access to technical expertise, business guidance, legal advice, and investor networks.

In this 6th cohort (Phase 1: Pre-incubation, Remote), Aureon was selected in the mining and transportation technology segment.

Aureon also participated in Space Resources Week 2026, held in Luxembourg in May 2026, where it engaged in discussions to build international partnerships.

### About Aureon Space Systems Inc. To enable the commercial utilization of space resources, Aureon is developing a mass propulsion system that utilizes asteroid rocks on-site, aiming for a revolution in transportation costs. By converting asteroid material into thrust at the location, the architecture eliminates the need to bring propellants from Earth, making large-scale transport in deep space commercially viable for the first time.

The company filed a Japanese patent for its core technology in November 2025.

Aureon has steadily built its development foundation within just six months of its founding, including selection for the "S-Booster 2025" unicorn creation program by SPACETIDE and establishing partnerships with technology companies.

### Future Outlook Through this selection, Aureon will deepen its collaboration in technical, business, and legal aspects with major European institutions such as ESA, LSA, LIST, and Technoport. The company also aims to establish a strong presence for Japanese firms within the European space resources community.

Aureon is actively pursuing dialogues with research institutes, companies, and experts to collaborate across technical, business, and policy dimensions for the grand challenge of asteroid resource development.

### Company Overview - Name: Aureon Space Systems Inc. - Established: October 2025 - Business: R&D and commercialization of deep space resource development technologies - Location: Tokyo, Japan - Representative: Atsutaka Wakamoto, CEO - URL: https://aureon-inc.com