The funds raised will fuel: the scale-up of Exotrail’s known products: spaceware™ space-proven electric propulsion systems and spacestudio™ mission design software; the introduction and growth of Exotrail’s new products: spacetower™ operations software and its space logistics service spacedrop™ and; the expansion of Exotrail’s international presence, with a strong focus on the US and Asian markets.
This Series B fundraising round brings new ambitious investors onboard: Bpifrance, already present in the capital via F3A and Digital Venture funds, led this new round via the SPI fund (Sociétés de Projets Industriels) and the Innovation Defense Fund, as well as Eurazeo, a leading European VC investing in tech champions worldwide, and the international software engineering company CELAD. All Exotrail’s historic investors – 360 Capital, Karista through the Paris Region Venture Fund, Irdi Capital Investissement, Innovacom, iXO Private Equity and NCI-Waterstart, together with BNP Paribas and Banque Populaire Val de France from BPCE Group – also participated in the round.
Based in France, Exotrail aims to build a new world of space logistics with a mission to make satellite constellations economically and environmentally sustainable. Exotrail’s products focus on satellite mobility, optimizing their deployment, increasing their service performance, and reducing space pollution. Exotrail is the first worldwide space company to offer a complete and holistic approach to space mobility with products including advanced propulsion systems, modern and intuitive mission design and satellite operation software, as well as in-space logistics services designed for constellations. The company will use the funds raised to continue innovating and developing cutting edge products to enhance its mobility offer.
Despite challenging global macro-economic market conditions, Exotrail’s Series B round was oversubscribed thanks to an outstanding commercial performance in 2022. The company has recorded steady, triple-digit growth revenue for the last few years, tripling its backlog last year. Exotrail currently employs 90 people and plans to hire more than 70 people all over the world, over the next 12 months. Its strong customer base covers North America, Europe and parts of Asia, and includes a well-balanced mix of commercial and institutional players across the space value chain – from launch service providers to satellite manufacturers and operators.
On this occasion, Exotrail’s CEO and cofounder Jean-Luc Maria, stated:
“We are grateful for the trust and confidence all our investors vest in Exotrail. This series B round validates our comprehensive and logistics-driven approach to space mobility. We are now ready to accelerate our efforts in positioning our mobilityhub™ as the world reference for effectively moving assets in space. The message we are sending to all space companies wherever they are on Earth is clear: space logistics is coming, and Exotrail will be your preferred partner!”
Jean-Philippe Richard, Deputy Director of the SPI fund, and Nicolas Berdou, Investor for the Defense Innovation Fund, declared:
“Its technologies, its large-scale industrial project and its international ambitions as a provider of dual services in orbit to the space industry, are all strengths that have seduced us in the Exotrail project, supported since its creation by Bpifrance via the F3A fund and the Digital Venture fund. The combination of SPI and FID funds, bringing their expertise in industrialization and management of sovereign projects, symbolizes Bpifrance’s deep ambition to support the reindustrialization of France by supporting innovative and job-creating projects in the territories such as the one carried by Exotrail”
Benoist Grossmann, Managing Partner, and Raphaël Cattan, Vice President from Eurazeo, stated:
“Investing in Exotrail is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the new paradigm running today’s space sector and the transition to terrestrial logistics models in orbit. Thanks to its outstanding results, with space proven products since 2020 and a large portfolio of customers in Europe, North America and Asia, Exotrail now enters a scale-up and internationalization phase. In line with our strategy towards building technological leaders of tomorrow, this investment will enable us to accompany this very promising team to become the space logistics reference”
Vincent Gardeau, President of CELAD, added: “Joining the Exotrail adventure and its insightful team allows us to support the French space ecosystem and participate in building a new leader of in-space mobility. The synergies between our companies are obvious around our know-how in information systems and industrial computing. In particular, we support Exotrail on its software approach to the field of space logistics, the keystone of a unique global strategy on the market”
About Exotrail
Exotrail is an end-to-end space mobility operator. The company offers customers the ability to define their space mobility needs with the spacestudio™ mission analysis software, meet those needs with spaceware™ onboard propulsion systems and spacedrop™ in-space mobility services, and operate their solutions with the spacetower™ software. This complete mobility offering called mobilityhub™ allows satellites to optimize their deployment, increase their service performance, and reduce space pollution. Exotrail was incorporated in 2017 and has secured over 70M€ of funding. The company has more than 20 customers in North America, Europe and Asia. Exotrail’s team is expanding quickly and consists, as of today, of +90 passionate people operating out of two locations: Toulouse and Massy (suburb of Paris) in France.
More information: https://www.exotrail.com/ Press contact: Léna Carton – lena.carton@exotrail.com – +33 (0)6 76 36 47 20
About Bpifrance and its SPI and Defense Innovation Funds
Bpifrance finances companies at each stage of their developm ent, providing credit, guarantees and equity. It supports them with their innovation projects and international expansion. Bpifrance also offers a wide range of products to help companies with their exports. The services it provides to entrepreneurs include advice, education, networking and an accelerator program for start-ups and small and medium-sized businesses. Bpifrance and its 50 regional units ensure that entrepreneurs have a single, effective contact person close by to help them deal with their challenges.
The SPI fund, managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French state as part of its France 2030 plan, intends to support the development of industrial projects that show the greatest promise in terms of business levels and jobs in the manufacturing sector. It acts as a long-term equity investor in companies developing industrialization projects, which are selected on the basis of their growth potential, current position within their industry and contribution to ecological and energy transition. It is therefore one of the financial driving forces behind the French government’s New Industrial France program. The Defense Innovation Fund, created in 2020 by the French Ministry of Defense and managed by Bpifrance, aims to support the growth and development of innovative companies whose dual technologies are of particular interest to the defense sector, through equity and quasi-equity investments. With a target size of €400 million, mostly subscribed by the Defense Innovation Agency (AID), the fund contributes to the emergence of new critical size players at French and European level.
For more information, please visit: https://www.bpifrance.com Follow us on Twitter: @Bpifrance – @BpifrancePresse
Press Contact: Pierre Cejka – pierre.cejka@bpifrance.fr – +33 (0)6 63 78 64 21
About Eurazeo
Eurazeo is a leading global investment company, with a diversified portfolio of €32.4 billion in assets under management, including nearly €23.2 billion from third parties, invested in 530 companies. With its considerable private equity, private debt as well as real estate and infrastructure asset expertise, Eurazeo accompanies companies of all sizes, supporting their development through the commitment of its nearly 400 professionals and by offering deep sector expertise, a gateway to global markets, and a responsible and stable foothold for transformational growth. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, robust financial structure free of structural debt, and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term. Eurazeo has offices in Paris, New York, London, Frankfurt, Berlin, Milan, Madrid, Luxembourg, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore and Sao Paulo.
Eurazeo is listed on Euronext Paris. ISIN: FR0000121121 – Bloomberg: RF FP – Reuters: EURA.PA.
More information: https://www.eurazeo.com/ Press Contact: Virginie Christnacht – vchristnacht@eurazeo.com – +33 (0)1 44 15 76 44
About CELAD
CELAD was founded in 1990 in Toulouse, and is now a more than 1400 collaborators company, working with over 300 clients. We always believed that women and men of CELAD are the heart of our projects, that made CELAD a success story for more than thirty years now. Our success in Information Systems technologies and in industrial computer sciences increases every day thanks to our engineers proven expertise and recognized skills: sense of customer service, responsiveness, technical expertise, professionalism, listening, involvement,….
Since the last 15 years, CELAD has benefited from both consistent growth and great financial health, earning every year the company a C1+ rating from the « Banque de France », a mark of financial management excellence.
Our Engineers and Consultants are accounting for key accounts and small businesses from the industrial and service industries.
Relying on advanced technologies (IT / Electronics) and its business knowledge, CELAD manages consultancy projects in such different fields as studies, Computer Science Development, Testing or technical and processes Leadership .
Today, CELAD is well known and congratulated for its social policy and the quality of its people and services.
We’ll continue writing our story based on these values! More information: https://www.celad.com/
Press Contact: Grégoire Sarrazin – gregoire.sarrazin@celad.com – +33(0)6 64 62 58 06
Exotrail was advised by tech-focused investment bank Clipperton for this fundraising, led by Nicolas von Bülow and Martin Vielle, and supported by the Bird & Bird teams, led by Xavier Leroux, partner, assisted by Vincent Babin and Tiphaine Dupont.
