Investment, mentorship, and orbital access for founders building the future of high‑growth markets

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The ISS National Laboratory® is launching the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator, now in its second year. This program is in partnership with returning global investment partners Cook Inlet Region, Inc., E2MC, and Stellar Ventures and welcomes new partners Context Ventures, Draper Associates, and Draper University, alongside leading industry participants and sponsors.

Orbital Edge is a one-of-a-kind accelerator that provides early-stage startups with access to low Earth orbit and $500,000 to $750,000 in private capital funding per startup. In addition to venture investment and access to orbital flight platforms, the program delivers targeted mentorship and programming focused on spaceflight technology development, business building, and product commercialization. 

The 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator program includes two tracks:

• The Sentinel Track, focused on space technologies and dual-use applications
• The Disrupt Track, focused on in-space manufacturing and space bio opportunities

Selected participants will also be eligible to compete for the Boeing-sponsored Technology in Space Prize, which includes up to $100,000 in non-dilutive funding.

"Orbital Edge is about access—access to capital, access to orbit, and access to the right partners," said Ray Lugo, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, which manages the ISS National Lab. "When you bring those three together, you dramatically increase the probability that great ideas turn into real, scalable businesses."

As investment momentum builds across deep tech and dual-use sectors—including AI, robotics, therapeutics, materials, and advanced manufacturing—the Orbital Edge Accelerator connects founders, investors, and industry partners focused on using space-enabled research and development to bring high-growth technologies to market faster.

Registration is now open for upcoming networking events in Cambridge, MA, and Palo Alto, CA, as well as an informational webinar to be held in the coming weeks. To register for Orbital Edge Accelerator events, learn about the benefits of participating, or to apply, visit the Orbital Edge Accelerator website.

Orbital Edge Accelerator representatives will be attending the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, April 13-16. Email orbitaledge@ISSNationalLab.org to connect with us at this event.

Download a high-resolution image for this release: Orbital Edge Accelerator

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

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SOURCE International Space Station National Lab