EDINBURGH-based business Astrosat is propelling itself to the forefront of international Space Applications and innovation with support from the Scottish Government and UMi Debt Finance Scotland.
The firm has been approved for a £100,000 loan, which will be linked to another contract they have just won from the European Space Agency
It was launched in 2011 by Steve Lee chief executive officer and chief operating officer Fraser Hamilton after the pair met whilst studying at Caltech.
The duo are now embarking on a huge product, which will standardise mapping and satellite data to identify the UK’s ageing and vulnerable populations and help public bodies protect them from the effects of cold weather, isolation, illness and pandemics such as coronavirus.
Steve explained: “Astrosat takes data from space and presents it visually to help people understand and improve the planet.
“Our Scottish Enterprise-supported Nexus programme looks at cold air weather patterns and pollution and the direct links with illness and prevention.
“We saw that it had obvious applications to help health service managers and give government a tool to help make and report on decisions on coronavirus, but to really push it along, we needed some big computer power, including a data centre and new kit – and for that, we needed funding.”
The UMi Debt Finance Scotland loan scheme, supported under the Scottish Growth Scheme, is designed to help Scottish businesses innovate, grow and diversify.
Tom Brock, UMi debt finance Scotland fund director, said: “They are space scientists who graduated in a world with no jobs for them, so they created their own – using space to solve human problems.
“Astrosat’s work is pioneering in the true sense of the word, and hugely exciting, and we’re delighted to be supporting them.”
