Specialising in the design and construction of next generation nanosatellites, this Toulouse-based start-up wants to revolutionise the small satellite industry.

Fact sheet
Date of creation: 2018
Workforce: 18 employees
Turnover: not provided
Headquarters: Toulouse
Website: https://www.u-space.fr

To become the market leader in nanosatellite constellations by 2025. This is the goal of the three founders of U-Space: Nicolas Humeau, Fabien Apper and Antoine Ressouche. Based in Toulouse, the company was a spin off from the ISAE-SUPAERO engineering school, it designs and builds miniaturised, modular, high-performance satellites that are characteristic of the new space market.

The company launched in 2018 with CNES, its first client for which it operates the EyeSat demonstrator in orbit and markets its technology. The company then increased its capabilities and signed its first production contract in 2019, for a nanosatellite (N3SS). It will carry out a civilian Spectrum monitoring mission.

Supported by the ESA BIC incubator and Airbus Development, U-Space is currently developing a range of nanosatellites (3U, 6U, 12U, and 16U) for the private constellation market. Internationally, its solutions (nanosatellites, control centres, operations) are well adapted to the needs of commercial, government and scientific organisations.

U-Space allows operators to remove a complex entry barrier to space and facilitates the constellation design and production process. « Unlike other companies who are very diversified (equipment manufacturers, platform operators and brokers) and who have historically focused on individual demonstration missions, our offer is now aimed at constellation operators », says Nicolas Humeau, COO of U-Space.

Industrialisation is a priority for U-Space, which is seeking to raise a substantial amount of money to increase its production capacity, commercial facilities and R&D resources. U-Space’s workforce is expected to quadruple in three years.