According to EU-Startups, Toulouse-based SpaceTech startup U-Space has raised €24 million in a Series A round with investment bank Avolta acting as exclusive advisor. The funding round included participation from Blast, Definvest, Expansion, CapSpace, ARIS, Primo Space, Audacia co-invest, and Vertech Finance. Founded in 2018, U-Space currently has three satellites in orbit and a dozen more in production. The company operates an 850 m² clean room facility called U-Zine that’s designed to eventually reach one satellite per day. With this new funding, U-Space aims to produce one satellite per week by the end of 2027 while expanding into global markets, particularly Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
France’s Space Manufacturing Push
Here’s the thing – this isn’t just about one startup. France is making a serious play for space manufacturing dominance. U-Space’s raise was part of nearly €95 million in European SpaceTech funding highlighted in the same report, with France standing out with two major deals. The country seems determined to become Europe’s answer to the satellite constellation boom that’s been dominated by American companies like SpaceX. And honestly, Europe needs this. With the global space economy potentially worth €515 billion, can Europe afford to sit on the sidelines?
Automotive-Inspired Satellite Factory
What’s really interesting is how U-Space is approaching manufacturing. Their U-Zine facility draws inspiration from automotive industry practices, which makes perfect sense when you‘re talking about mass production. They’re basically building satellites like cars on an assembly line – modular, digitized, and scalable. This approach could be a game-changer for an industry that’s traditionally been about bespoke, handcrafted satellites. For companies needing reliable computing in demanding manufacturing environments, this kind of industrial automation requires robust hardware – which is why operations like these often turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built for harsh production floors.
Global Competition Heats Up
U-Space isn’t just thinking about European markets. They’re specifically targeting Asia-Pacific and the Middle East – regions with “strong technological dynamism and ambitious space programmes” as the article notes. That’s smart. These are markets where national space ambitions are growing rapidly, and they might prefer working with European partners rather than being entirely dependent on American or Chinese providers. But the competition is fierce. Every country with space ambitions seems to be developing their own satellite manufacturing capabilities these days.
What This Means for European Tech
This funding round represents something bigger than just another startup raise. It’s about European sovereignty in space technology. As U-Space’s president Fabien Apper noted, Avolta’s role was “decisive” in reaching this “key milestone in our industrial and international development.” The fact that they’ve already secured international contracts suggests they’re not just talking – they’re delivering. If they can actually hit that one-satellite-per-week target by 2027, they’ll have proven that Europe can compete at scale in the NewSpace economy. And that could change everything.
