Montpellier, June 23, 2026 – Wheere, the French startup developing the world’s first large-scale indoor geolocation system, has announced an €8.5 million funding round. Led by its historical shareholders, including Blast (the private investment club founded by Anthony Bourbon), Éric Larchevêque, and Sofilaro, this financing aims to achieve the final technological and commercial milestones ahead of a future Series A round.
A Breakthrough Innovation Endorsed by Industrial Leaders
Developed in Montpellier, Wheere’s patented technology is the only geolocation solution in the world capable of penetrating up to 50 meters of concrete. Using low-frequency VHF radio signals and a unique proprietary algorithm, Wheere overcomes the limitations of traditional GPS.
On Earth, its lightweight system (requiring only four antennas to cover one square kilometer) has already attracted major industrial groups such as TotalEnergies, EDF, and L’Oréal. Lone-worker safety, digital twins, asset tracking, flow optimization—the deeptech company addresses critical challenges across the industrial, defense, and healthcare sectors.
But the company’s ambition extends far beyond terrestrial applications. Wheere is simultaneously developing its own LEO PNT (Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation and Timing) satellite constellation to make its technology available worldwide without any ground infrastructure. With its first satellite launch scheduled for the first half of 2027, this sovereign space-based network will enable Wheere’s technology to be embedded directly into connected devices such as smartphones and autonomous vehicles. Much like GPS today, Wheere aims to become the indispensable global standard for mass-market indoor navigation, global logistics, and critical safety applications.
Renewed Confidence from Existing Shareholders to Accelerate Growth
In a challenging funding environment, particularly for the space sector, Wheere is demonstrating the strength of its vision and the confidence of its long-term partners.
The €8.5 million financing consists of:
- €4.2 million in equity financing (dilutive): primarily provided by Blast Club (€2.4 million), Éric Larchevêque (€1 million), Sofilaro (€500,000), and existing business angels (€320,000).
- €4.3 million in non-dilutive financing: including bank loans and public grants.
This bridge round finances Wheere’s roadmap for the next 18 months. Its objective is to validate the two key performance indicators (KPIs) now required by investors for the closing of its future Series A round: an orbital proof-of-concept launch and the signing of multi-year commercial contracts.
“This funding round is above all a demonstration of confidence from our historical partners. We now have all the tools needed to achieve our most ambitious milestones: validating our technology from space and confirming our commercial deployment in France and internationally. Wheere is on track to redefine geolocation standards, and we are ready for this next stage of growth.” Pierre-Arnaud Coquelin, CEO of Wheere
Addressing GPS’s Main Limitation: The Space Ambition
To establish itself as a sovereign alternative to existing GNSS infrastructures (GPS, Galileo), Wheere is simultaneously accelerating both its terrestrial industrial deployment and its space roadmap through three strategic pillars:
- In-Orbit Validation (IoV): Scheduled for the first half of 2027, this historic milestone will mark the launch of the world’s first payload capable of transmitting Wheere signals directly from space.
- Terrestrial Commercial Expansion: After a year dedicated to successful industrial proof-of-concepts (POCs) in 2025, 2026 marks the beginning of large-scale deployment in France and internationally, particularly in Germany and Canada, with the objective of surpassing €1 million in revenue.
- ASIC Program Launch: Development of a proprietary miniaturized electronic chip designed for mass integration once the pilot constellation of five satellites enters service in July 2028.
They Support Wheere
Anthony Bourbon, Founder and CEO of Blast Club: “We are renewing our support for Wheere because we are convinced that geolocation will play a decisive role in Industry 4.0, smart buildings, and strategic sectors such as healthcare and defense. By overcoming the limitations of GPS, Wheere addresses growing needs for efficiency, safety, and resilience among both businesses and public institutions.”
Éric Larchevêque, Entrepreneur and Investor: “Wheere is a French gem with the potential to revolutionize a service as strategic as geolocation. Beyond the global service opportunity, it represents a major sovereignty issue for France and Europe. I participated in the seed round and am strengthening my position in the company’s capital today because I am convinced that the team possesses all the qualities necessary to successfully carry out this adventure.”
Lucas Grillard, Investment Director at Sofilaro: “As a regional private equity specialist, Sofilaro has supported Wheere since its early days. We are proud to renew our commitment to this Occitanie-based deeptech company, whose ambitions perfectly align with the DNA of the SOFILARO Innovation fund: supporting breakthrough innovations that shape our region. Beyond its growth trajectory, investing in Wheere also means supporting the future-oriented New Space sector during a period of profound transformation and contributing to the sovereignty and competitiveness of the French and European space industries through the evolution of geolocation systems.”
About Wheere
Founded in 2020 by Pierre-Arnaud Coquelin and Antoine Carrabin, Wheere is the French deeptech company revolutionizing geolocation. Unique in the world, its patented low-frequency technology can penetrate up to 50 meters of concrete to locate people and assets with metric-level accuracy, without any interruption between indoor and outdoor environments.
While its terrestrial solution has already convinced major industrial groups, the company is now preparing to launch its own satellite constellation (LEO PNT) to establish a new global standard.
Since its creation, Wheere has raised nearly €20 million, including an €11 million seed round in 2023 and a second €8.5 million financing round in 2026.
About Blast
Founded in 2023 by Anthony Bourbon and Samuel Guez, Blast is a private investment club dedicated to high-potential innovative startups. Since its creation, Blast has invested more than €240 million in companies operating in sectors including deeptech, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and breakthrough technologies. Supported by a team of more than 70 experts, the club now brings together over 14,000 active members and has become one of Europe’s most active investment communities.
Source: Wheere
