Munich Startup Festival panel highlights Munich’s growing role in the new space economy

A panel on space technology at the Munich Startup Festival brought together investors, founders, and researchers to discuss Munich’s expanding role in the emerging space economy. Investor Joram Voelklein, Delta Vision founder Alex Plebuch, and Florian Dötzer from the TUM Venture Lab Aerospace & Defense joined moderator Prof. Dr. Nadine Chochoiek to explore opportunities in the new space race.

Space technology is no longer limited to rockets and astronauts; it now underpins critical economic functions such as smartphone navigation, satellite communications, logistics, energy supply, and satellite imagery for agriculture and wildfire response. Florian Dötzer, head of the TUM Venture Lab Aerospace & Defense, emphasized that space is already essential to the functioning of the economy. He also noted that access to space has become more affordable, allowing startups to focus on specific technologies rather than building entire satellites or launch systems from scratch. This shift is creating new business models spanning satellites, launchers, in-orbit refueling, space traffic management, and applications in agriculture, logistics, and security.

Delta Vision, a Munich-based company founded by Alex Plebuch after twelve years in the space industry, initially focused on small components like valves, pumps, and pressure regulators for satellites and rockets. What began as a niche within a niche has grown significantly, with the company now reporting a backlog of around 90 million euros in orders. Only about ten percent of this comes from agencies, while the remainder is commercial business. Delta Vision employs 134 people and recently announced a seed funding round of 10.2 million euros, secured over seven months primarily from family offices with additional venture capital.

Joram Voelklein, co-founder of Alpine Space Ventures, views space not as a niche but as a major global industry. His firm invests exclusively in space companies across Europe and the United States and manages over 300 million euros in assets. Alpine focuses on foundational hardware and infrastructure—what Voelklein calls the “picks and shovels” of the space economy—rather than flashy applications. The firm’s first fund, totaling 170 million euros, holds stakes in just seven companies, with more than 45 percent in two of them. Voelklein acknowledges the high concentration risk but argues that space investments require deep technical expertise and a long-term market perspective, which Alpine’s team provides.

Florian Dötzer highlighted Munich’s unique ecosystem, where research institutions, industry, capital, and talent converge. He pointed to the mix of experienced professionals from large companies, doctoral candidates, and students experimenting with new approaches. The region’s industrial base in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland also offers partnerships and supply-chain support, allowing startups to focus on core competencies. Plebuch described Munich’s ecosystem as a kind of “machine” that nurtures young companies, offering support from pre-seed funding to accelerator programs and networks of fellow space founders.

Voelklein’s investment track record reflects Munich’s concentration of opportunity. Of Alpine Space Ventures’ four European investments, all are based in Germany, with two directly in Munich and one with a local hub. He stated that it is no coincidence most of the firm’s investments are in Munich, as the city hosts some of the best space companies in Europe.