Mars Planet Technologies

What Mars Planet Technologies does

Mars Planet Technologies is an Italian private organization founded in 2004 in Curno, Bergamo, that operates as a non-governmental enabler for space market access. It sells strategic consulting, AI-assisted onboarding (Discovery One with the HAL 2001 coordinator), professional training (Mars City Academy), analog mission programs (SMOPS), VR simulation hardware (Motigravity/Motivity under Mars VR Systems), and infrastructure access (SISEI/Seriana Space Valley) to a mix of startups, multinationals, national space agencies, universities, and space operators, often in connection with Horizon Europe consortia.

The company's technical footprint combines a proprietary 7-level Space Readiness Level (SRL) assessment methodology, the HAL 2001 AI orchestration layer used in the Discovery One 5-phase onboarding funnel, and validated VR simulation assets such as the Motigravity low-gravity treadmill. Underpinning this is a research program that has produced 26+ peer-reviewed publications across space medicine, robotics, digital health, and analog missions, plus formal institutional affiliations including the Italian Space Agency (since 2008) and the ESA steering committee (since 2018).

Commercially, Mars Planet runs a multi-stream professional services and content model: consulting engagements and Discovery One onboarding are quote-based; the Academy operates on recurring course enrollment; events and webinars generate sponsorship and participation fees; and the founders' published book 'Space: The Millennium Market' provides supplementary content-marketing reach. Distribution is global on paper — the company claims active partnerships across six continents — but the operating team remains small at 5 employees, with no disclosed funding rounds, revenue figures, or named enterprise customers.

Name

Mars Planet Technologies

Legal name

Mars Planet Technologies

Website

https://marsplanet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mars Planet Technologies is an Italian space market enabler that guides startups, multinationals, national space agencies, and universities into the space economy through consulting, an AI-assisted Discovery One onboarding platform, and a seven-sub-brand ecosystem spanning training, VR simulation, and analog missions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Industry Advisory and Consulting Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

Keywords

• Space market consulting
• Space industry advisory
• Space sector training
• Analog space missions
• VR space simulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergamo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting & Advising Services: Strategic insight and advisory services guiding organizations into the space economy through a proven 3+1 phase methodology covering strategic assessment, market positioning, action planning, and partnership development.
2. Discovery One Platform: Company onboarding service platform transforming curiosity into space market opportunities through a structured 5-phase process powered by HAL 2001 AI.
3. Academy Training Programs: Professional training programs delivered online by world-class instructors covering space medicine, architecture, robotics, AI ethics, XR applications, and more. Includes Mini-Master 6-month intensive program and individual course enrollments.
4. Events & Webinars: Revenue generated from webinar hosting, event sponsorship, and participation fees for space industry events including The European Way to Mars and Space Meeting.
5. Book Sales: Sale of 'Space: The Millennium Market' book by founders Antonio Del Mastro and Pietro Veragouth, a practical guide to navigating the global space economy.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mars Planet Technologies fundamentally sells consulting and advisory services that help companies, governments, and institutions gain access to the global space economy. It delivers these services through a structured 3+1 phase methodology (Strategic Assessment, Market Positioning, Action Planning, Partnership Development), operationalized via the AI-powered Discovery One platform and the proprietary Space Readiness Level (SRL) assessment. Complementary offerings include the Mars City Academy training programs, the SMOPS analog mission program, Mars VR Systems simulation hardware and software, and the SISEI Seriana Space Valley infrastructure initiative.

Product overview

Mars Planet Technologies operates as a multi-platform ecosystem serving as Europe's leading non-governmental enabler for space market access. The core offering is a constellation of specialized platforms including Discovery One (AI-powered company onboarding), Mars VR Systems (V-Mars Program with Motigravity/Motivity treadmills), Mars City Academy (professional training), SMOPS (analog mission program), SISEI (infrastructure), Mars City Research Center (documentation), and Robots for Space (robotics research). These platforms are supported by HAL 2001 AI strategic coordinator and proprietary Space Readiness Level methodology, with complementary consulting & advising services and Think Tank innovation platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Discovery One: Commercial funnel platform for company onboarding into the space market, powered by HAL 2001 AI strategic coordinator
• Mars Virtual Systems (MVS)
• SISEI
• Mars City Academy
• SMOPS
• Mars City
• Robots for Space
• HAL 2001
• Space Readiness Level (SRL)

Products and services

• Discovery One AI-powered service platform that guides companies into the space market through a structured 5-phase onboarding process (Discovery One), transforming curiosity into space market opportunities. For companies of every size seeking to enter or expand in the space economy.
• Mars City Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ years of consistent research output since founding in 2004
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Horizon Europe ConsortiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Mars Planet leads Horizon Europe consortia, finding qualified partners and delivering results. The company's network of vetted companies provides the supply chain space operators need for consortium participation.
• Seriana Space Valley (SISEI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Infrastructure initiative launched in 2020 for European testing and development facilities. Located in Seriana Space Valley, it provides territory and infrastructure services within the Mars Planet ecosystem.
• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018ESA steering committee membership since 2018, providing strategic alignment with European space priorities and access to ESA programs, consortia, and expertise.
• Italian Space Agency (ASI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008First partnership established in 2008, marking Mars Planet's entry into official institutional collaboration. ASI provides patronage and formal recognition of Mars Planet's activities as part of Italy's space ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Euroconsult: Paris-headquartered global space consulting and market intelligence firm serving public agencies and private operators with strategy, due diligence, and forecasting. Comparable to Mars Planet in cross-segment space advisory plus research output (annual reports, conferences).
• European Space Policy Institute (ESPI): Vienna-based think tank providing independent space policy research, strategy briefs, and convening for European stakeholders. Comparable to Mars Planet's research publications and policy-flavored consulting on European space access.
• Bryce Space and Technology: US-based space and technology consulting firm providing strategic analysis, program management, and engineering support to NASA, DoD, and commercial space clients. Highly comparable to Mars Planet's space strategy and program advisory work.
• SpaceTec Partners: Munich-based consultancy that advises European institutions, agencies, and private companies on space strategy, program development, and innovation. Closely matches Mars Planet's advisory motion targeting governments, agencies, and enterprises entering the space market.
• International Space University (ISU): Strasbourg-based global space education institution offering graduate-level programs, executive courses, and conferences. Directly comparable to Mars City Academy's professional training and certification offerings.
• Northern Sky Research (NSR): Global space and satellite market research and consulting firm offering reports, forecasts, and bespoke strategy engagements. Comparable to Mars Planet's research-driven advisory and ecosystem-positioning approach.
• Avascent: Strategy consulting firm serving aerospace, defense, and space clients with growth strategy, M&A, and market entry advisory. Similar business model to Mars Planet's consulting stream targeting companies and agencies in the space sector.

Broad incumbents

• Satellite Applications Catapult: UK government-established innovation centre that accelerates satellite and space technology adoption across industries. Overlaps with Mars Planet's role as a non-government enabler for space market access, but operates with substantially larger public funding.
• The Aerospace Corporation: US federally funded R&D center supporting national security, civil, and commercial space programs with technical consulting. Overlaps with Mars Planet's role bridging research, agencies, and commercial operators, though at vastly greater scale.

Others

• Mars Society: International non-profit advocating for human Mars exploration, hosting chapters, conferences, and analog research. Mars Planet runs pan-European Mars Society chapter webinars and shares the Mars exploration community, making it a thematic adjacent peer rather than a direct commercial competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marsplanet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Mars Planet Technologies