Long-term Monaco resident and space technology investor highlights the future of sustainable energy at the European Space Agency conference.
As of today, Monaco does not officially have a globally recognised “unicorn” startup, meaning a privately held company valued at over $1 billion.
This is why discussions around companies like Lunar Exploration Ltd. are interesting. The company is not currently a unicorn, but its positioning around lunar geospatial intelligence, Helium-3 prospecting, and future lunar infrastructure places it within sectors where valuations could become extremely significant if the space economy accelerates over the next decade.
During the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Plan for European Cooperating States (PECS) and Associate Member States Industry Days, held in Valletta, Malta, on 23–24 April 2026, long-term Monaco resident and serial entrepreneur Zsolt Szemerszky gained international recognition by presenting the geospatial intelligence platform of Lunar Exploration to ESA and European stakeholders.
Organised by the Capability and Country Support Division within the European Space Agency’s Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness, the event aimed to foster international cooperation and strengthen partnerships across the entire space sector. The programme featured a broad range of presentations and discussions on key topics relevant to ESA, industry, and institutional partners across Europe, with a particular focus on entities from Cooperating and Associate Member States.
Zsolt Szemerszky, CEO of Lunar Exploration
Finding Water on the Moon
For decades, humanity looked at the Moon as a symbol of exploration. Today, it is increasingly viewed as something far more strategic: the foundation of a future space economy.
At the centre of this transformation lies one critical resource: water, which could define humanity’s future in space.
Scientists, governments, and private space companies now consider lunar water one of the most important discoveries for the future of human expansion beyond Earth. Water is no longer simply associated with survival; it is becoming the key to sustainable lunar infrastructure, deep-space logistics, and long-term human presence in space.
This is precisely the landscape where Lunar Exploration Ltd. positions itself: building the geospatial intelligence layer needed to identify, map, and analyse lunar resources before large-scale operations begin.
The importance of water on the Moon extends far beyond drinking supplies for astronauts.
Future lunar bases may use water for:
- life support systems,
- oxygen generation,
- agriculture,
- cooling systems,
- radiation shielding,
- and rocket propellant production.
Without local resources, every kilogram required for survival must be transported from Earth at enormous cost. With local resource utilisation, the economics of lunar settlement change fundamentally. In practical terms, this transforms the Moon from a destination into infrastructure.
“Lunar Exploration is a space-tech company developing a commercial-grade digital twin of the Moon, a geospatial intelligence platform designed to provide high-resolution lunar mapping, resource probability modelling, terrain analysis, and mission-planning analytics,” - explains Zsolt.
Its vision is straightforward but ambitious: before governments or private companies can build infrastructure, extract resources, or establish sustainable lunar operations, they first need accurate and reliable data.
The company’s platform focuses particularly on:
- H2O prospectivity models,
- Helium-3 probability analysis,
- terrain hazard detection,
- illumination mapping,
- and landing-region scoring for future missions.
Rather than positioning itself purely as a rover operator or mining company, Lunar Exploration is building the informational infrastructure that future lunar operators may depend upon.
Space Gas Station
Finding water on the Moon is considered one of the most important discoveries for the future of space exploration because water is far more than just something astronauts drink, it is a strategic resource that could enable a permanent human presence beyond Earth.
“Water is a wonderful element that can be used to create life-support systems, including drinking water.
When we separate hydrogen and oxygen, we can create breathable air for astronauts, hydrogen for propelling lunar machines and creating rocket fuel, and in general, water is also an excellent shield against lunar radiation,” - says Zsolt.
Water (H2O) can be separated into hydrogen and oxygen, the main components of rocket fuel.
This is where things become revolutionary. Lunar water could eventually be used to:
- refuel spacecraft in space,
- power lunar missions,
- support Mars missions,
- and create an entirely new space logistics economy.
In simple terms, the Moon could become a “space gas station.”
Zsolt Szemerszky, CEO of Lunar Exploration
Economic and Strategic Importance
Without local resources, every mission depends completely on Earth supply chains. With accessible lunar water, habitats could recycle water continuously, oxygen could be produced locally, agriculture may become possible, and long-duration human settlement becomes far more realistic.
This concept is called ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization): using local resources instead of transporting everything from Earth.
Water is likely to become one of the most valuable resources in that ecosystem. The ability to identify, map, and access it could shape the future lunar economy.
This is one of the reasons why companies such as Lunar Exploration Ltd. are focusing on geospatial intelligence and resource identification. Before humans can build a sustainable lunar economy, they first need accurate data about where critical resources, especially water ice are located.
Helium-3
Among all the resources believed to exist on the Moon, few generate as much fascination as Helium-3.
It has become one of the most discussed strategic resources in the emerging lunar economy, and companies such as Lunar Exploration Ltd. are positioning themselves to help identify, map, and understand where these resources may exist before future extraction becomes viable.
“Helium-3 is a light, non-radioactive isotope of helium that is extremely rare on Earth but believed to exist in much larger quantities within the Moon’s regolith, the layer of dust and rock covering the lunar surface. It is considered the holy grail of energy sources.”
For scientists, investors, governments, and emerging space companies, Helium-3 represents something far greater than a rare isotope.
It symbolises the possibility of a cleaner energy future, a new industrial era in space, and the long-term evolution of humanity beyond Earth.
The excitement around Helium-3 is linked primarily to nuclear fusion.
“Fusion is fundamentally different from today’s nuclear fission reactors. Rather than splitting atoms apart, fusion combines atomic nuclei together, the same process that powers the Sun.”
In simple terms, Helium-3 is viewed as a potential pathway toward cleaner and more sustainable fusion energy.
If commercially viable fusion using Helium-3 becomes possible in the future, the implications for Earth could be extraordinary.
Potential benefits include:
- dramatically lower carbon emissions,
- reduced dependence on fossil fuels,
- cleaner baseload electricity generation,
- less radioactive waste than current nuclear systems,
- and long-term global energy stability.
In a world increasingly shaped by climate concerns, energy insecurity, and geopolitical tension around natural resources, the appeal of a near-limitless clean energy source is enormous.
Zsolt Szemerszky, CEO of Lunar Exploration
$30 Million per Kilogram
Lunar Exploration, envisioned by Zsolt Szemerszky, has the potential to become Monaco’s first multi-billion-euro business, a true unicorn.
Because Helium-3 is extremely rare on Earth, estimates of its theoretical market value are exceptionally high.
Some speculative estimates suggest values reaching:
- $20 million to $30 million per kilogram,
- or even higher depending on future fusion demand and extraction economics.
“The strategic importance lies in long-term optionality. Much like rare earth elements before the technological boom, Helium-3 may become increasingly important if fusion technology matures over the coming decades,” - explains Zsolt.
As lunar exploration accelerates through NASA’s Artemis programme, ESA collaborations, and growing private-sector investment, accurate resource intelligence may become one of the most valuable assets in the space industry.
“Companies like Lunar Exploration Ltd. may play a crucial role, not by planting flags, but by building the intelligence systems that help humanity understand where to go next.”
As governments and private companies prepare for sustained lunar activity, understanding where resources exist becomes critically important. Therefore, the 2026 European Space Agency conference highlighted the innovative solution developed by Lunar Exploration.
“Before extraction comes mapping. Before infrastructure comes intelligence. This is where Lunar Exploration Ltd. positions itself strategically.”
Today, Helium-3 remains a long-term strategic resource, yet its potential implications for clean energy, sustainability, and space industrialisation are profound enough that governments, scientists, and companies are already preparing for that possibility.
In many ways, with the help of Lunar Exploration, humanity might one day succeed in creating a sustainable fusion-powered civilisation; a story that began in the heart of the Principality of Monaco.
Discover more: https://lunexp.com/