Sirius A

What Sirius A does

Sirius A is the study association for astronomy students at the University of Groningen's Kapteyn Institute in the Netherlands. The association serves undergraduate (BSc), graduate (MSc), and doctoral (PhD) astronomy students by supporting academic navigation, sharing career prospect information, promoting social bonding through events, and providing voluntary work opportunities across more than 20 active committees. Its core digital product is Nebula, a curated student collaboration platform for sharing course materials, Q&A, and academic knowledge across the Groningen astronomy curriculum. Physical assets include the ISS (I Said So) members room at Kapteyn Room 0127, the Ephemeris magazine published by the MESSENGER committee, and an annual symposium held at DOT Planetarium featuring international and local speakers.

The association operates as a non-commercial, membership-based student organization. It is funded through four revenue streams: annual membership fees (undisclosed), per-event participation fees (e.g., €10 for the symposium, ~€60 for the Hitchhiking Race), member and supporter donations, and sponsorships from academic and commercial partners including the Kapteyn Institute, SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, NOVA, NNV, KNG, GUF, and shirtalaminute.nl. Membership is managed through the Conscribo platform, and the entity is governed by an elected student board with no external investor or parent company ownership. Sirius A's geographic footprint is domestic and confined to the Groningen astronomy program, with no evidence of cross-institutional expansion.

Name

Sirius A

Legal name

Sirius A - Study Association for Astronomy

Website

https://siriusa.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sirius A is the study association for astronomy students at the University of Groningen's Kapteyn Institute, supporting BSc, MSc, and PhD members through the Nebula collaboration platform, ISS members room, Ephemeris magazine, and annual symposium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Association Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMABAE

Space & Astronomy Programs

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

SECONDARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

Keywords

• Astronomy education
• Student association
• Academic events
• Study programs
• Member services

Headquarters

HQ city

Groningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to students joining Sirius A as members, providing access to all events, committees, members room, and other association benefits.
2. Event Participation Fees: Some events charge participation fees. The symposium 2026 costs €10.00 including refreshments, coffee break, and lunch. The Hitchhiking Race costs approximately €60 to cover travel and accommodation.
3. Donations: The association accepts donations from members and supporters through a dedicated donations page.
4. Sponsorships: The association receives support from sponsors including the Kapteyn Institute, SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, and commercial sponsors like shirtalaminute.nl.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sirius A is the astronomy study association at the University of Groningen's Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, providing its members with educational, social, and career-oriented activities. It runs events including lectures, the annual Symposium held at the DOT Planetarium, the Hitchhiking Race social event, stargazing nights, planetarium visits, and social drinks, and supports members through a digital platform (Nebula), a dedicated members' room (ISS), and the Ephemeris magazine.

Product overview

Sirius A is the study association for astronomy at the University of Groningen. Its primary digital offering is Nebula, a student collaboration platform for academic resources and knowledge sharing. The association also operates the ISS (I Said So) members room for social gatherings, publishes the Ephemeris magazine, and organizes annual events including a cosmology-focused symposium. These offerings collectively support astronomy students' academic and social needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ephemeris magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual symposium with 5 international and local speakers on astronomy topics
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kapteyn Institute, University of GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kapteyn Institute is the primary academic partner, being the department where astronomy is taught at the University of Groningen. Sirius A is the study association specifically for astronomy students at this institution, with deep integration in the academic program.
• SRON Netherlands Institute for Space ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRON is a major Dutch research institute for space research and serves as a sponsor of Sirius A, providing connection between students and professional space science research opportunities.
• University of Groningen (RUG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe university provides institutional support and is a symposium sponsor. The Astronomy Programme Committee is a legally constituted part of every study programme in the Netherlands.
• DOT Live PlanetariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOT Live Planetarium hosts the annual Sirius A symposium, providing the venue for the event focused on astronomy topics.
• Nederlandse Natuurkundige Vereniging (NNV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dutch Physical Society sponsors the Sirius A symposium, supporting educational activities in physics and astronomy.
• Koninklijk Natuurkundig Genootschap (KNG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Royal Physical Society (Groningen chapter) sponsors the symposium, supporting the astronomy student community.
• NOVA (Netherlands Research School for Astronomy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOVA sponsors the symposium, supporting astronomy education and research in the Netherlands.
• VSI (Virtual Satellite Systems)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVSI sponsors the symposium, supporting astronomy and space-related educational activities.
• shirtalaminute.nlminorOthersCommercial sponsor providing merchandise support to Sirius A.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• DOT Live Planetarium: Public planetarium in Groningen that hosts Sirius A's annual symposium. Venue partner and indirect ecosystem participant — operates in astronomy public engagement, which is adjacent to Sirius A's student-facing mission.
• SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research: Major Dutch space research institute that sponsors Sirius A. Thematically aligned (astronomy/space science talent pipeline) and ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor — but operates the same Dutch space-education ecosystem Sirius A depends on for credibility and recruitment.
• European Astronomical Society (EAS): Pan-European professional astronomy society with student and early-career programs. Indirect peer — comparable in curating astronomy community programming and serving the same audience Sirius A feeds into professionally.
• Kapteyn Astronomical Institute: Department at University of Groningen that hosts astronomy teaching and research, and is Sirius A's primary institutional partner and sponsor. Adjacent (academic parent institution rather than competing org), but inseparable from Sirius A's identity and operational base.
• NOVA (Netherlands Research School for Astronomy): National Dutch astronomy research school that sponsors Sirius A's symposium. Ecosystem-level enabler rather than peer; comparable in serving Dutch astronomy education and acting as a connective layer between universities and the professional astronomy community.

Direct peers

• Utrecht University Physics Study Association (A–Eskwadraat): Large Dutch university study association covering physics, mathematics, and astronomy adjacent disciplines. Direct peer in operating model (committee-based, member-funded, sponsor-backed) and in serving Dutch STEM students.
• Studievereniging A.E.S.R./VvA (Amsterdam/VU Astronomy study associations): Dutch university-level astronomy or physics study associations at VU Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam. Direct peers: same student-membership association model, same target customer (Dutch astronomy students), same Dutch institutional sponsor ecosystem.
• Leiden Astronomy Study Association (L.A.S.): Astronomy study association at Leiden University, the other major Dutch astronomy program alongside Groningen. Direct peer in student-membership structure, event programming (symposia, borrels, excursions), and NOVA-affiliated institutional sponsorship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sirius-a

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sirius A