On 7–9 November 2025, Sofia Tech Park will open its doors to the next generation of space innovators, as the Bulgarian host of the 10th CASSINI Hackathon & Mentoring.
Over the course of three days, teams of students, graduates, early-stage entrepreneurs, designers, and space data enthusiasts will gather in the tech park’s Incubator building to race against time, using satellite data and competing with each other, with the goal to first come up with an idea for a project and then create a working prototype.
The applications are open to everyone and no prior space-tech credentials required.
What is CASSINI?
CASSINI is a flagship initiative of the European Commission, running under the umbrella of EU space-programme funding between 2021 and 2027. The project’s mission is to catalyze new ventures and bring space tech innovation into everyday life.
Each year, the program includes mentoring, acceleration, matchmaking, and a €1B seed and growth fund to back promising ideas.
At its core, the CASSINI Hackathons invite creatives, coders, and problem-solvers to build digital applications using European space assets: Earth observation imagery (Copernicus), satellite navigation (Galileo, EGNOS), connectivity, and more. The goal is to translate that data into social value: sustainable travel, immersive gaming, sports analytics, climate resilience.
Each annual edition is distributed: in parallel, 10 local hackathons take place across Europe, all tied by a virtual hub. In past rounds, local organisers have ranged from space-focused NGOs and universities to innovation hubs, including Austrian Space Forum in Austria, Aarhus University in Denmark, Ultrahack in Finland, International Space University in France, and others.
This November, the concurrent hackathons will run in these ten countries: Bulgaria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, New Caledonia, Slovakia. (Though New Caledonia is a French territory, it joins via European space networks)
What’s On the Line This Year
Each of the ten local winners advances to a Europe-wide pitching final, where the top three teams receive six months of tailored mentoring from some of Europe’s most seasoned space-business coaches.
Along the way, local organisers and sponsors add their own incentives designed to help promising projects survive long after the hackathon weekend.
The aim is clear: turn a bright idea sparked by Copernicus imagery or Galileo positioning data to turn your bright idea into a prototype along with mentors’ support.
Participants in Sofia will grapple with three themed challenges:
- Immersive Gameplay: harness Galileo and satellite connectivity to invent new gaming mechanics.
- Space achievements: leverage GNSS-based positioning and analytics to reimagine athletic performance or fan engagement.
- Reimagining Travel: use satellite imagery and positioning to design travel systems that are safer, smarter, more sustainable.
Winners at the Bulgarian level will earn access to a coworking space and incubator services in Sofia Tech Park, media support, and the chance to represent Bulgaria on 12 November in the European final. The continental champion secures €5,000 and 100 hours of ESA mentoring.
The decision to house CASSINI in Sofia underscores the Bulgarian government’s ambitions to seed a vibrant space startup culture, leveraging research institutions, universities, industry and policy in tandem
Registration for the CASSINI Hackathon at Sofia Tech Park is open via this link.
