Look Up secures major capital boost to expand radar network and space traffic services

Look Up secures major capital boost to expand radar network and space traffic services
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Jun 12, 2025

Three years after its founding, European space surveillance firm Look Up has secured EUR 50 million in funding to accelerate the global deployment of its radar network and strengthen its suite of space traffic management services. The financing combines equity, bank debt, and non-dilutive public funding, placing it among the top three largest Series A rounds in European space technology to date.

Leading the equity portion of EUR 24 million is UK-based ETF Partners, joined by Spain's Leadwind (KFund) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. Returning investors include MIG Capital of Germany, and France-based Karista and Expansion, all of whom participated in Look Up's 2023 seed round.

The European Union contributed EUR 15 million in grants to support the construction of two new radar installations in French Polynesia. Additional funding from European banks brings the total round to nearly EUR 50 million. The funding reflects a collective ambition across European institutions to establish Look Up as a sovereign leader in orbital safety at a time of mounting geopolitical tension and rapidly growing space traffic.

Look Up's proprietary SORASYS radar system-already operational in Lozere, France-is designed to provide high-resolution tracking of space debris, inactive and active satellites, and rocket bodies in low Earth orbit, where the majority of orbital activity occurs. The company's SYNAPSE digital platform, already commercialized, processes radar and multisource data to offer real-time analytics, threat detection, and precise collision avoidance guidance.

The Toulouse-based startup was founded in 2022 by Michel Friedling, former General of the French Air and Space Force and first Commander of French Space Command, and Juan Carlos Dolado Perez, former Head of Space Surveillance at CNES. Since inception, Look Up has grown to 60 employees and expects to reach a team of 100 by the end of the year.

With the new capital, Look Up plans to deploy additional radars across French territories, launch its operations center, validate its Space-Operations-as-a-Service platform through in-orbit demonstrations, and scale its international presence.

"Our goal is to become a global player in space safety and operations," said co-founder Friedling. "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."

Dolado emphasized Look Up's three-pronged technology strategy: "We enable 24/7 detection with our radar network, real-time space domain awareness via SYNAPSE, and safe orbital operations. This integrated vision meets the rising demand for coordinated space traffic management across public and private sectors."

ETF Partners' Remy de Tonnac stated, "We believe a sustainable Earth requires a sustainable space. Look Up's work makes satellites safer and more insurable, laying the groundwork for a secure orbital economy."

KFund's Pablo Ventura added, "Europe must develop strategic tech capabilities. Look Up is redefining Europe's role in the space economy, and we're proud to support this collective effort."

EIC Fund Chair Svetoslava Georgieva called Look Up "a strategic company that has proven its ability to execute an ambitious and sovereign European project in just three years."

The company will officially present the funding announcement at the Paris Air and Space Show on June 17 at 2:30 PM at the CNES booth.

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