French space tech startup Look Up secures €50M in funding
The participation of European national funds and an institutional EU fund in Look Up’s capital reflects a shared ambition to give the company a European dimension amid an unprecedented geopolitical context.
Look Up, a French startup specializing in orbital safety and the protection of space infrastructure, has announced a €50 million funding round combining equity, bank debt and public grants.
The equity funding round is led by UK-based ETF Partners, totaling €24 million. Leadwind, KFund’s early growth fund (Spain) and the EIC Fund (EU) join as new shareholders, while MIG Capital (Germany), Karista (France), and Expansion (France) reaffirm their support after participating in the 2023 seed round, according to a media release.
Additionally, Look Up receives €15 million in non-dilutive funding from the European Union, to support the deployment of two radars in French Polynesia.
Several banking institutions are also contributing to the financing round through debt, bringing the total financing to nearly €50 million.
Look Up’s globally deployed radar network, with the first unit already operational in Lozère (France), will deliver highly accurate data on all objects in orbit: active or defunct satellites, upper rocket bodies, and hundreds of thousands of pieces of debris a few centimeters. This data, available to public and private actors or processed in real time by Look Up’s digital platform “SYNAPSE” will support advanced services such as precise collision risk prediction, maneuver recommendations, detection of abnormal activity or threats, enabling the peaceful and sustainable use of space, the media release said.
“This funding will enable us to continue deploying our radar network worldwide and enhance our digital solutions to address the escalating challenge of an increasingly congested and unstable orbital environment,” said Michel Friedling, Co-founder of Look Up.
“Look Up’s technology vision is built on three pillars: first, the ability to detect orbital objects 24/7 with high revisit rates thanks to our radar network; second, the ability to analyze and understand the space domain in real time through our SYNAPSE platform; and third, the ability to enable safe and sustainable space operations,” said Juan Carlos Dolado, Co-founder of Look Up. “This integrated vision allows us to meet the rising demand for coordinated space traffic management from both public and private operators, ensuring the long-term sustainability of space activities.”
“By addressing the increasing risks of collisions and debris management, Look Up is creating a more secure orbital environment where satellites can safely operate and become insurable assets,” said Rémy de Tonnac, Senior Partner, ETF Partners. “This is a critical foundation for a sustainable space economy, balancing environmental responsibility and technological progress.”
“At Kfund, as a Spanish fund, we firmly believe that Europe must build its own strategic technological capabilities,” said Pablo Ventura, General Partner, KFund. “Look Up represents that future: a company that not only addresses critical challenges in the protection of orbital assets, but also helps redefine Europe’s role in the new space economy.”
