Wheere, a young French company and pioneer in indoor geolocation, has announced the signing of a partnership with Toulouse-based U-Space, a leader in the design and manufacture of nano- and microsatellites.
This collaboration is part of Wheere’s space program, which aims to build a LEO PNT (Low Earth Orbit – Positioning, Navigation & Timing) system—that is, a global constellation of satellites focused on addressing indoor location challenges.
Wheere states that this partnership will focus on two main areas of activity. First, the collaboration will focus on integrating the payload into the satellite platform built by U-Space, which will assist Wheere in the preliminary definition of the integration of its space gateway aboard U-Space’s 12U or Freeform (small microsatellite) platforms.
Based on the ground gateway designed to meet space-specific constraints and the functional specifications, U-Space will then select the most suitable platform and propose an optimized satellite architecture, including the configuration of subsystems that meet Wheere’s payload specifications.
Second, the two companies will work on the system definition and sizing of the constellation for the IoD (In-orbit Demonstration) phase. In this context, U-Space will study the optimal LEO orbital parameters for the first five satellites, taking into account global coverage constraints and existing launch opportunities.
Next, for the IoC (Initial Operational Capability) phase, the objective will be to determine the number of satellites, the orbital distribution, the management of spare satellites, and the operating modalities (continuous or intermittent transmission) necessary to ensure geolocation is available at least once per hour, anywhere in the world.
“At Wheere, our mission is clear: to make indoor geolocation accessible anywhere on Earth, even through dozens of meters of concrete, thanks to a service operated from space,” explains Kevin Rutankabandi, Space Program Manager at Wheere. To bring this ambitious vision to life, we needed a partner with deep space expertise, capable of supporting us in the technical definition of our program—from satellite architecture to the design of the global constellation. U-Space emerged as the ideal partner, as the complementarity of our expertise is a key asset for the program’s success. We bring our expertise and innovation in positioning, while U-Space brings rigor and mastery of space systems, as well as expertise recognized by CNES and Airbus in the design, integration, and operation of nano- and microsatellites.”
Wheere will provide details about this partnership at the Viva Technologies trade show on June 13, 2025, at the CNES booth.
As a reminder, Wheere—a company founded in 2020 in Montpellier—is developing indoor geolocation technology capable of penetrating up to 50 meters of concrete with meter-level accuracy. Thanks to its patented technology, the company states that it can cover a site of up to 1 km² with just four antennas. In 2023, the company raised €11 million to accelerate its development.
For its part, U-Space, a company founded in 2018 in Toulouse, is developing several lines of satellites, ranging from 15 to 200 kg, customized to user needs and designed for commercial low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellations. Four satellites have already been launched, and seven are in production. U-Space provides end-to-end support for projects, from constellation design to launch support and in-flight tracking of satellites at its operations center, including satellite production at its 1,000-square-meter facility (named U-Zine). In 2022, the company raised €7 million.
