Simera Sense is extending its global reach by opening an optical payload development hub in Toulouse.

Cape Town (South Africa) and Toulouse (France), 20 June, 2024 — Simera Sense, the frontrunner in end-to-end optical solutions for smaller satellites with headquarters in Belgium, is strengthening its global presence by opening an office in Toulouse, France. This move is a testament to its growth strategy, bolstered by the €13.5 million funding secured in an investment round earlier this year.

The company already has 19 optical payloads in space and another 43 delivered and ready for launch to customers worldwide. Many of these customers are European-based, including Loft Orbital, Prométhée Earth Intelligence, AAC Clyde Space, Open Cosmos, OHB Systems AG, and many others. The Simera Sense optical payload Toulouse office will strengthen support for these European customers and improve turnaround times for advanced payload development. This rapid growth and demand for Simera Sense’s optical payloads necessitate expanding its development and production capacity.

Toulouse, strategically selected for its position within the aerospace ecosystem, will be the home of the new facility. This facility, an R&D engineering and production hub, will not only service the existing customer pool in France and the rest of Europe but also contribute to developing High- to Very High-resolution optical payloads for Earth Observation.

France, renowned for its space program and expertise in space manufacturing, offers a rich talent pool that Simera Sense recognises and aims to tap into for its continued success. Furthermore, the new Simera Sense optical payload Toulouse engineering facility is a testament to our commitment to the French NewSpace ecosystem, contributing through job creation and the development of expertise in space-based optical payloads.

“Simera Sense is recruiting for several positions at its Toulouse office, including senior and junior roles. Join us to be part of a dynamic team in the NewSpace ecosystem!” said Kammy Brun, Managing Director of Simera Sense France. “We look forward to building a solid team with expertise and experience in optics, thermal systems engineering, embedded software engineering and AIT (Assembly, Integration and Testing). Our core team will comprise 4 to 6 members by Q4 this year, and we have multiple job openings, including senior project manager, senior systems engineers, public relations & bid managers, and several PhD vacancies. The team is expected to double in size by 2025 and triple by the following year.”

Charlotte Voisin, Business Development Manager for Aeronautics & Space at Invest in Toulouse, stated, “We are delighted that Simera Sense is opening a subsidiary in Toulouse, the European Capital of Space. Since 2019, I have supported the Simera team by facilitating connections with our ecosystem, potential customers, and key institutions. This nearly five-year effort has been fruitful, as Simera Sense has successfully developed commercial products and grown from a start-up to a scale-up with the opening of their French subsidiary. This new R&D and engineering centre will serve both European and global customers, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Aerospace Valley, ADOCC, Business France, and Toulouse’s economic development agency.”