The Copernicus data provided on a free, full and open access basis are an invaluable asset for both established and new businesses. EU funded projects such as e-shape and PARSEC aim to support developers and entrepreneurs through solid access to knowledge, technology, capital and markets. e-shape endeavours to build capacity across the whole value chain for the exploitation of EO data and services as well as to boost application sustainability. PARSEC, a holistic acceleration programme, aspires to provide start-ups and SMEs with the necessary resources to develop and launch their own EO based ideas into the market.