There are moments when everything aligns, when an idea, expertise, and vision converge to create something greater. That is exactly what happened when Leyton and Starburst decided to combine their strengths.
In a world where deeptech innovation has become a strategic priority for companies, this alliance marks a turning point: funding and structuring startups’ innovation is no longer enough. Teams must design it holistically.
Innovation is not just about having a great idea. It must be funded to secure the necessary resources; structured to avoid dead ends and maximize impact; and protected to generate long-term value. Yet today, too many R&D projects stall due to a lack of a global vision. Some lack funding, others lack strategy and many lack both. This shared observation led Leyton and Starburst to design a new, integrated solution.
Two areas of expertise, one ambition: bridging the gap between idea and market
Leyton – turning R&D budgets into growth drivers
For over 30 years, Leyton has been supporting companies in maximizing their innovation funding. Through mechanisms such as the Research Tax Credit (CIR), the Young Innovative Company status (JEI), and national, European, and international grants, our mission is clear: unlock financial resources so companies can innovate without budget constraints.
Over the years, we have observed a recurring pattern: even well-funded projects sometimes struggle to reach the market. A breakthrough technology can fail if it is not aligned with a strong commercial strategy or if it does not address a clearly identified need. This is where Starburst’s expertise comes into play.
Starburst – accelerating innovation toward industrialization
Founded in 2012 by François Chopard, Starburst has established itself as the global leader in innovation acceleration within aerospace, space, and defense. Each year, more than 2,000 startups and large corporations benefit from its support to identify technological opportunities, structure R&D roadmaps, secure funding rounds, and connect with key ecosystem players.
Starburst’s approach to innovation management is rooted in an open innovation mindset, driven by its founder.
By combining global startup sourcing, ecosystem orchestration, and acceleration programs, Starburst rapidly transforms technologies into industrial solutions. Like leading consulting firms, Starburst also supports large organizations in defining strategy, prioritizing technological developments, structuring roadmaps, and integrating innovations operationally.
The emergence of a unique alliance: where funding meets strategy
A natural complementarity
Starburst Aerospace excels in structuring and executing innovation strategies through a comprehensive, impact-driven approach:
- Strategic analysis & prioritization: mapping key technologies, internal capabilities, and market trends to identify true innovation challenges
- Go-to-market strategy: positioning solutions, conducting technological benchmarking, and targeting high-potential markets
- R&D roadmap & technology maturity (TRL): building clear, phased pathways to transform concepts into industrial-ready solutions
- Execution models: selecting the right approach; partnerships, open innovation, investments, M&A, or startup collaboration
- Ecosystem connectivity & fundraising strategy: providing access to industrial players, investors, and institutional stakeholders to accelerate scaling
On its side, Leyton deploys a structured innovation funding approach fully aligned with this roadmap:
- Financial translation of innovation strategy: turning technological roadmaps into multi-year funding plans aligned with development phases
- Optimization and securing of R&D investments: ensuring eligibility, documenting activities, and maximizing long-term success rates
- Coordinated mobilization of public and private funding: activating tax incentives, grants, and non-dilutive financing at national, European, and international levels
- Financial performance management of innovation: balancing costs, funding obtained, equity needs, and leverage effects to support scaling
- Valorization of intangible assets: structuring IP and R&D data as financing and investor-attractiveness drivers
Together, Starburst and Leyton align strategy, execution, and funding: one defines where and how to innovate, the other secures the resources to sustain and scale it, reducing financial risk while maximizing investment leverage.
A deeptech and industrial innovation approach
“An end-to-end offering that connects innovation strategy to its financing capacity and industrial deployment.”
Together, we deploy a comprehensive approach to innovation, one where we analyze, prioritize, fund and deploy every R&D project. More than a partnership, this represents a new way of approaching deeptech innovation.
The challenge is no longer just identifying R&D projects, but building coherent trajectories that enable companies to select the right technological bets, bring them to maturity, and provide the financial means to scale.
In practical terms, our methodology is structured in three steps:
1. Long-term strategic and operational support
We work alongside Starburst teams to assess a company’s position within its innovation cycle, clarify its ambitions, and identify priority focus areas. This ensures alignment between strategy, technological roadmap, and access to the right industrial partners, startups, and investors with one objective: turning innovation into a tangible competitive advantage.
2. A cross-analysis of value creation vs. costs to prioritize the right bets
Each initiative is assessed based on its business impact, technological maturity, market potential, and required resources for industrialization. This enables informed investment decisions, focusing efforts on high-leverage programs and choosing, with clarity, between internal development, partnerships, or acquisitions.
3. Proactive funding structuring to support scaling
The innovation roadmap translates into a multi-year funding strategy. The coordinated activation of public funding schemes, tax incentives, non-dilutive financing, and equity contributions reduces the real cost of R&D, secures critical development phases, and enhances project attractiveness for investors.
Take the example of a company developing a breakthrough aerospace technology. With Starburst, it structures its strategy, prioritizes applications, and accelerates maturity by leveraging the right ecosystem and target markets. With Leyton, it secures the necessary funding to go all the way without diluting its capital.
The result? Innovation leaves the lab and gets deployed, financed, and scaled.
Why this alliance is different: because we deliver
Many firms advise. We act.
- We don’t just say “here are the available funding opportunities”: we secure them for you
- We don’t just say “here are the promising markets”: we connect you to them
- We don’t just talk about “innovation strategy”: we implement it with you
“With Starburst, we don’t talk about innovation in theory: we enable our clients and partners to build value-creating, funded industrial trajectories, with a simple ambition: reach for the stars.” Stephan Der Agopian, Leyton
