Three years after its founding, Look Up (formerly Look Up Space), a European company born in Toulouse and specializing in orbital safety and the protection of space infrastructure, announces a €50 million funding round combining equity, bank debt, and public grants. This operation is one of the largest Series A rounds in Space Tech over the past decade.
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.
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. This funding, coming exclusively from recognized European financial players, validates the European scope of the company, which aims to offer an end-to-end solution for space safety and operations.
Today, most detection and tracking capabilities in Low Earth Orbit, where 90% of space traffic occurs, are provided by the United States. 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 hundred 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.
Founded in late 2022 by Michel Friedling, former General of the French Air and Space Force and the first Commander of French Space Command, and Juan Carlos Dolado Perez, former Head of Space Surveillance at CNES, Look Up has demonstrated both technological expertise and execution capability. Achievements to date include the development of SYNAPSE, a multi-source digital platform for orbital object tracking (already operational and commercialized), construction of its first radar in Lozère, and the launch of two additional radars in Polynesia. Look Up is also developing a satellite operations service under the ATLAS2 project, co-funded by the EU. As of June 1, 2025, Look Up employs over 60 people and expects to grow to 100 by the end of 2025.
The funds raised in 2025 will allow Look Up to:
• Continue deploying its global radar network, notably in French overseas territories, with two new radars in French Polynesia
• Launch its Operations Center
• Validate its Space-Operations-as-a-Service model through an in-orbit demonstration
• Accelerate international expansion
Michel Friedling, Co-founder of Look Up: "Look Up stands out with a holistic vision and a unique strategy. Our goal is to become a global player in space safety and operations. 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. It also strengthens our positioning in a sector poised for consolidation at both European and global levels."
Juan Carlos Dolado, 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. 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."
Rémy de Tonnac, Senior Partner, ETF Partners: "ETF Partners is proud to support Europe’s emerging leader in sustainable space technologies. We firmly believe that in order to enable a sustainable earth we must ensure a sustainable space. 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. This is a critical foundation for a sustainable space economy, balancing environmental responsibility and technological progress."
Pablo Ventura, General Partner, KFund: "At Kfund, as a Spanish fund, we firmly believe that Europe must build its own strategic technological capabilities. 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. We are proud to contribute from Spain to such an ambitious and collective European project, advancing toward stronger and more sustainable space autonomy."
Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board: “The EIC Fund is proud to support Look Up, a strategic company that, in just three years, has proven its ability to execute an ambitious project combining innovation, international growth, and European sovereignty. Thanks to our investment, they will continue deploying its global radar network."
About Look Up
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, member of the International Academy of Astronautics and former Head of Space Surveillance at CNES, Look Up is a European Space Tech company with the ambition to become the global leader in space safety, security, and sustainability.
Its solution is built on three technological pillars:
• SYNAPSE, a digital platform for data fusion and real-time orbital analysis
• SORASYS, a global ground-based radar network for space object detection and tracking
• An integrated satellite operations service
With this holistic approach and full value chain control, Look Up delivers end-to-end services for space safety and operational continuity, contributing to the protection of satellites in an increasingly complex orbital environment and in a volatile geopolitical context.
More information at: www.lookupspace.com
About ETF Partners
Founded in 2005, ETF Partners (The Environmental Technologies Fund) is Europe's original venture capital firm dedicated to sustainability and impact investing. For twenty years, we have established a leading position in promoting sustainability through innovation. ETF Partners is founded on the conviction that entrepreneurship and innovation are critical in addressing the global challenges presented by the climate crisis. We are committed to fostering and supporting Europe's ecosystem of pioneering entrepreneurs who are creating innovative solutions capable of making a profound environmental impact. We believe in the transformative power of aligning profit with purpose in order to build a more sustainable future.
Visit: www.etfpartners.capital
About KFund
Kfund is a multi-stage, multi-product fund family that supports entrepreneurs across Southern Europe and Latin America. With over €550 million in assets under management, Kfund invests from pre-seed to Series B, with check sizes ranging from €100,000 to €15 million.
For more information, visit https://www.kfund.vc/
About EIC Fund
The European Innovation Council Fund from the European Commission is an agnostic Fund: it invests across all technologies and verticals, and all EU countries and countries associated to Horizon Europe. It provides the investment component of the EIC Accelerator blended finance. The European Investment Bank acts as investment adviser to the EIC Fund. The EIC Fund aims to fill a critical financing gap and its main purpose is to support companies in the development and commercialisation of disruptive technologies, bridging with and crowding in market players, and further sharing risk by building a large network of capital providers and strategic partners suitable for co-investments and follow-on funding. The Fund pays particular attention to the empowerment and support of female founders as well as the ambition to reduce the innovation divide among EU countries.
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