AstroCamp

What AstroCamp does

AstroCamp is a privately held Spanish company operating Europe's first dedicated robotic telescope hosting facility, located in Nerpio, Albacete, at 1,650 meters altitude within a protected dark-sky area near Cazorla National Park. The core offering is physical hosting of customer-owned robotic telescopes: AstroCamp provides conditioned pillars, individual cupolas or shared sheds with motorized roofs, electrical power with backup, broadband fiber with radio link redundancy, and on-site technical support and security. The site advertises a darkness level of 21.5 (near the theoretical maximum of 22), laminar wind conditions, and an absence of atmospheric turbulence, positioning the facility for high-quality astronomical observation.

Revenue is generated through three streams. The largest is recurring hosting fees for the physical infrastructure, supplemented by usage-based telescope time rental routed through the GRAS (Global-Rent-A-Scope) and iTelescope global networks, which expose AstroCamp to a worldwide customer base across sites in Spain, New Mexico, and Australia, enabling 24-hour continuous observation. A smaller consultancy line covers light pollution surveys, observation-condition optimization, and turnkey robotic observatory design and installation. The company also operates the Universe Discovery Center in Nerpio for astrotourism, outreach talks, exhibitions, and remote educational sessions via video conferencing.

The customer base spans professional astronomers requiring reliable dark-sky infrastructure, amateur astronomers seeking hosted or rental telescope access, and general public visitors participating in outreach programs. Distribution is primarily via the GRAS/iTelescope web platforms for self-serve rental, direct contact (WhatsApp and email) for hosting and consultancy, and on-site visits for tourism. The team of 11–50 includes an astrophysicist with ESA/Telefónica experience, Spanish astronaut and former minister Pedro Duque, an engineer with 25–30 years in astronomy calibration, and specialized telescope and automation technicians.

Name

AstroCamp

Legal name

AstroCamp

Website

https://astrocamp.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AstroCamp operates Europe's first robotic telescope hosting facility in Nerpio, Spain, providing dark-sky infrastructure, remote telescope rental via the GRAS and iTelescope global networks, consultancy, and astrotourism services to professional and amateur astronomers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Astronomical Observatory Services

NAICS

Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJACAA

Observation Decks & Viewing Platforms

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Attractions & Landmarks (Observation Decks, Monuments, Scenic Sites)

SECONDARYEDAMABAE

Space & Astronomy Programs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/STEM Enrichment & Science Programs

SECONDARYHDAFAIAM

Satellite Broadband Terminals & Gateways (VSAT/LEO CPE)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Networking Equipment & Components/Network Access & Edge Devices (CPE/ONT/Modems/Gateways)

Keywords

• Telescope hosting services
• Robotic telescope rental
• Remote observatory operations
• Astrophotography consulting
• Astrotourism experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Nerpio

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Telescope Time Rental: Remote telescope rental through GRAS network. Customers rent time on telescopes via web platform for astronomical observations. Associated with iTelescope network providing global coverage.
2. Telescope Hosting: Space rental for telescopes including pillar, services, installation, calibration, technical support, security, and utilities. Transportation from origin to site included.
3. Consultancy Services: Scientific studies about space, light pollution surveys, optimization of astronomical observation conditions, design and turnkey installation of robotic observatories.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AstroCamp hosts robotic telescopes at its dark-sky facility in Nerpio, Spain, providing physical infrastructure (cupolas, sheds, power, fiber optics, technical support) and rents telescope time to customers worldwide via the GRAS and iTelescope networks. The company also offers scientific consultancy for observatory design and conducts public astronomy outreach activities through its Universe Discovery Center.

Product overview

AstroCamp is a telescope hosting facility offering four main services: Telescope Hosting (physical hosting of robotic telescopes with full infrastructure support), Telescope Rental via Internet (remote telescope access through the GRAS and iTelescope global networks), Consultancy Services (scientific studies, light pollution surveys, observatory design), and Outreach Activities (educational programs through the Universe Discovery Center and remote sessions). The company operates from a dark-sky protected site in Nerpio, Spain at 1650m altitude, providing cupolas for individual telescopes and sheds with powered roofs for grouped telescopes, with electrical power, fiber optics, and radio link connectivity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Telescope Hosting Physical hosting of robotic telescopes at AstroCamp's dark-sky facility in Nerpio, Spain. Includes space rental with conditioned pillars, cupolas for individual telescopes or sheds with motorised roofs for grouped telescopes. Services include transportation from origin, installation, calibration, electrical power with backup, broadband fiber optics with radio link backup, in-situ technical support, and security.
• Telescope Rental via Internet Remote access to telescopes through the GRAS (Global-Rent-A-Scope) and iTelescope global networks. Customers worldwide connect via web interfaces to select telescopes and rent observation time, enabling around-the-clock astronomical observation across multiple global sites (Nerpio Spain, New Mexico USA, Siding Spring Australia).
• Consultancy Services Professional consulting services including scientific space studies, light pollution surveys, optimization of astronomical observation conditions, and design and turnkey installation of robotic observatories. Targeted at organizations and individuals planning astronomical observation infrastructure.
• Outreach and Astrotourism Activities Astronomical education and public engagement services including the Universe Discovery Center in Nerpio hosting talks, exhibitions, movies, training sessions, demonstrations, direct observations, and video conferences. Also includes remote outreach activities conducted in various cities using AstroCamp's remote resources. Astrotourism includes appreciation of dark skies with expert guidance and surrounding nature/cultural attractions.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GRAS (Global-Rent-A-Scope)coreTechnology or IntegrationAstroCamp is associated with the GRAS network, a global telescope rental network. The network includes sites in New Mexico (USA) and Moonrook (Australia). GRAS has 15 years of experience in robotic telescope rental. Using the three centers, customers can observe any point in the sky around the clock.
• iTelescopecoreTechnology or IntegrationAstroCamp is associated with the iTelescope worldwide network of robotic telescope rental. Other network sites include Nuevo México (USA) and Siding Spring (Australia). The network has more than 15 years of experience enabling 24-hour sequential observation of stellar phenomena. Customers connect via go.itelescope.net to rent any telescope.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Astronomy Adventures (Atacama region): Astrotourism operator in Chile's Atacama desert offering tours and observation experiences; relevant regional peer for AstroCamp's astrotourism line in a competing premium dark-sky geography.
• Calar Alto Observatory: Spanish-German professional observatory in Almería providing public observation programs and tours; relevant Spanish peer operating in close proximity to AstroCamp's Nerpio site and competing for educational astrotourism visits.
• Light & Dust (Astro Experiences Spain): Astrotourism operator based in Spain running astronomy tours and dark-sky experiences; regional peer competing for the same Spanish leisure and education customer segment that AstroCamp targets through the Universe Discovery Center.

Direct peers

• GRAS (Global-Rent-A-Scope): Direct sister network to iTelescope operating a parallel booking portal for the same physical telescopes, including AstroCamp's; provides the underlying customer acquisition infrastructure for AstroCamp's rental revenue stream.
• Slooh: Online platform enabling global members to remotely control telescopes and capture astrophotography; competes directly with AstroCamp's telescope rental services for amateur astronomers and educators worldwide.
• iTelescope: Global robotic telescope rental network that AstroCamp is directly associated with; offers near-identical internet-based time-share access to telescopes at multiple global sites including New Mexico and Australia, sharing revenue and customer flow with AstroCamp.

Emerging players

• Sierra Stars Observatory Network: Network of professional-grade remote telescopes accessible online for research and imaging; directly comparable service offering to AstroCamp for amateur and professional astronomer clients.
• Deep Sky West: US-based remote telescope hosting service in New Mexico offering astrophotography hosting and rental under dark skies — same operational model as AstroCamp but in a North American site; relevant for cross-region comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Celestron: Large telescope and optical equipment manufacturer whose consumer telescopes and imaging systems feed downstream demand for AstroCamp's hosting and astrophotography rental services; not a competitor but a complementary incumbent in the value chain.
• European Southern Observatory (ESO): Major intergovernmental research organization operating world-class observatories in Chile; the dominant broad incumbent in European-managed ground-based astronomy, providing context for AstroCamp's niche commercial positioning vs. publicly-funded alternatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=MiKvf_HHgvc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astrocamp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AstroCamp