Photo by Look Up

Look Up, a new French space radar network start-up, has secured 50 million euros ($57.26 million) in funding that will enable the company to accelerate the global deployment of its space surveillance radar network, expand its space traffic management services, and scale its international growth. The funding round combines equity, bank debt, and non-dilutive public funding from the European Union. Look Up announced the funding round, June 11.

The company claims that this operation is one of the largest Series A rounds in space technology over the past decade. The equity funding round is led by UK-based ETF Partners, totalling 24 million euros ($27.49 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. Additionally, Look Up receives 15 million euros ($17.18 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 euros.

Look Up’s globally deployed radar network, with the first unit already operational in Lozère (France), aims to 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. In addition to expanding its SORASYS radar network, this new funding will also enable Look Up to accelerate international growth and develop advanced Space Traffic Management and Space Operations-as-a-Service offerings for public and private stakeholders.

“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. 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,” Juan Carlos Dolado, Co-founder of Look Up, said in a statement.