Kinéis
Kinéis is a French satellite IoT operator running Europe's first 25-nanosatellite IoT/AIS constellation, providing global tracking, monitoring, and alerting connectivity to enterprise and government customers across logistics, energy, environment, maritime, agriculture, and infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersRamonville-saint-agne, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kinéis does
Kinéis is a French satellite IoT operator founded in 2018 and headquartered in Ramonville-Saint-Agne near Toulouse. The company operates Europe's first constellation of 25 nanosatellites dedicated to IoT and maritime AIS, deployed in low Earth orbit at 650 km altitude across 5 orbital planes, supported by 20 ground stations worldwide. The technology uses a proprietary 400 MHz long-range frequency band capable of penetrating dense vegetation, with an 8-year guaranteed satellite lifespan, bidirectional communication capability, and a 24/7/365 service center. Data is stored under French sovereignty, and the platform inherits 40 years of expertise from the Argos satellite system. The commercial product is organized around three solution modules — Localiser (Track), Surveiller (Monitor), and Être alerté (Be Alerted) — plus a dedicated Space AIS maritime data service.
Kinéis serves enterprise and government customers across six verticals: Transport & Logistics, Energy & Utilities, Environment, Maritime, Agriculture, and Infrastructures. Named customers and partners include LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group), Wood Mackenzie Vesseltracker, Dryad Networks, Europorte/Getlink, Kerlink, CLS, HIoTee, and various fishing authorities and power grid operators. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales with a structured Partner Program for device manufacturers, system integrators, and solution providers, plus a developer portal for API-level integration.
The business model is B2B recurring revenue from satellite connectivity subscriptions and usage-based data transmission, complemented by higher-value enterprise contracts for space-AIS data and partner-product channels. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company has 20,000 connected devices today and targets 2 million by 2032. Funding to date totals roughly €100M+ (February 2020) from Bpifrance, CLS Groupe, CNES, European Investment Bank, Hemeria, IFREMER, and Thales Group. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, and the company holds a 2023 French Tech FT120 designation.
Kinéis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kinéis
- Legal name
- SAS Kineis
- Website
- https://www.kineis.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kinéis is a French satellite IoT operator running Europe's first 25-nanosatellite IoT/AIS constellation, providing global tracking, monitoring, and alerting connectivity to enterprise and government customers across logistics, energy, environment, maritime, agriculture, and infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kinéis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Satellite IoT Connectivity
- NAICS
- Satellite Telecommunications (517410)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Satellite IoT & Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Connectivity (LPWAN over Satellite) (HDAIAJAF)
Keywords
Where Kinéis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ramonville-saint-agne
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kinéis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Satellite IoT Connectivity Services: Kinéis provides satellite connectivity for IoT devices, enabling tracking, monitoring, and alerting capabilities for assets in areas without terrestrial network coverage. The company connects devices globally via its nanosatellite constellation and provides data transmission services to customers.
- IoT Device Data Transmission: Revenue generated from data transmission services where IoT devices send information through the Kinéis satellite network, likely usage-based pricing based on data volume or message frequency.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kinéis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kinéis operates Europe's first constellation of 25 nanosatellites in low Earth orbit, providing global 100% satellite IoT connectivity for tracking, monitoring, and alerting of connected assets in areas without terrestrial network coverage. The company delivers bidirectional, low-power IoT data transmission services across oceans, deserts, forests, and remote land areas, supported by 20 ground stations worldwide and a 24/7 operations center. Revenue is generated through subscription-based connectivity services and usage-based data transmission fees to enterprise customers, governments, and a partner ecosystem of device manufacturers and system integrators.
Product overview
Kinéis is a French satellite IoT operator (created in 2018) operating the first European constellation of 25 nanosatellites dedicated to IoT connectivity. The company's core offering is global 100% satellite coverage enabling tracking, monitoring, and alerting of connected assets in areas beyond terrestrial network reach. Kinéis provides three integrated solution modules: Localiser (Track) for asset location, Surveiller (Monitor) for 24/7 operational monitoring, and Être alerté (Be Alerted) for instant event notifications. The portfolio also includes Space AIS for maritime vessel tracking and a growing ecosystem of partner products that integrate Kinéis satellite connectivity, including Dryad's Silvanet Wildfire Sensor, CLS's NEMO VMS for fisheries, Europorte/Kerlink's Track Value for rail freight, HIoTee's water tank sensors, and the LSEG Vessel Tracking API. The technology is supported by bidirectional communication capability, 20 ground stations worldwide, and 40 years of satellite systems heritage from the Argos program. The company targets industries including agriculture, energy, environment, infrastructure, maritime, and transport/logistics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Space AIS: Maritime AIS (Automatic Identification System) data service for vessel tracking and monitoring.
Products and services
- Kinéis Satellite IoT Constellation Europe's first constellation of 25 nanosatellites dedicated to IoT connectivity, providing 100% global coverage for tracking, monitoring, and alerting connected devices in remote areas beyond terrestrial network reach. The constellation operates at 650 km altitude with 80 satellite passes per day per Earth location, 8-year guaranteed satellite lifespan, and bidirectional communication capability.
- Space AIS (Satellite AIS) Global maritime vessel tracking data service using AIS (Automatic Identification System) signals received via a secondary payload on Kinéis nanosatellites, enabling maritime surveillance, fleet tracking, and commodity flow analysis even in open ocean areas beyond coastal terrestrial AIS coverage. Operated as a Kinéis sub-brand (Space AIS).
- Localiser (Track) IoT solution enabling global asset location and tracking for vehicles, containers, rail wagons, boats, and mobile equipment, providing real-time or near real-time position data and historical tracking via satellite connectivity, accessible through customer tools or API.
- Surveiller (Monitor) IoT solution for continuous 24/7 monitoring of operations, infrastructure, and environmental conditions. Supports sensors for temperature, humidity, pressure, vibration, gas detection, and other parameters, with data transmitted via satellite for real-time visibility.
- Être alerté (Be Alerted) IoT alerting solution that delivers instant notifications within minutes of detected events such as fire, intrusion, temperature anomalies, or distress signals. Enables rapid response for safety and security applications across remote environments.
- Kinéis Container Tracking Solution Dedicated container tracking solution leveraging Kinéis's 25-nanosatellite constellation for global IoT tracking of shipping containers, offering position, sensor readings, historical data, and alerts via API or customer tools. Solution includes 8-year guaranteed equipment lifespan, 24/7 service, and low-power technology.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduce inspection costs by up to 30%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kinéis
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Kinéis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature8 records
Kinéis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group)coreLSEG partnered with Kinéis and Wood Mackenzie Vesseltracker to launch a Vessel Tracking API providing real-time global shipping and commodity flow data. Kinéis contributes satellite coverage via its 25-nanosatellite constellation while LSEG provides data validation and distribution through its platform.
- Wood Mackenzie VesseltrackercorePartnership with LSEG and Kinéis for Vessel Tracking API. Wood Mackenzie Vesseltracker provides data from over 3,400 AIS receiver stations capturing over 95% of commercial port visits globally, complementing Kinéis satellite AIS coverage.
- Dryad NetworkscoreDryad Networks uses Kinéis direct-to-satellite connectivity in its Gen-4-Pro Silvanet Wildfire Sensor, enabling fully autonomous deployments in remote forest areas without reliance on terrestrial networks. The partnership enables ultra-early fire detection capabilities.
- CLScoreCLS provides Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) solutions for fishing vessel tracking using Kinéis satellite connectivity. The NEMO all-in-one system uses hybrid connectivity (GPRS/IoT + Kinéis satellite) to track vessels anywhere, including offshore where GSM doesn't reach.
- Europorte (Getlink)coreEuroporte, subsidiary of Getlink, partnered with Kerlink and Kinéis to launch Track Value, the first logistics application using Kinéis IoT satellite connectivity for rail freight tracking and monitoring.
- KerlinkcoreKerlink partnered with Europorte and Kinéis to develop Track Value, a logistics application using Kinéis satellite connectivity for rail freight tracking with sensors measuring geolocation, temperature, vibrations and other parameters.
- Rocket LabcoreRocket Lab conducted the first of five planned launches for the Kinéis constellation in June 2024 from New Zealand. This partnership enabled the deployment of Kinéis' 25-nanosatellite IoT constellation.
- HemeriacoreHemeria, a Toulouse-based company, manufactures the Kinéis nanosatellites and is responsible for the platform and payload. A specific cleanroom was set up for producing all 25 satellites of the constellation.
- Thales Alenia Space FranceminorThales Alenia Space France leads the ESA NAVISP-funded LOCFIT project with partners Qascom, Kinéis, and Traxens to develop position-bounding solutions using satellite communication uplink measurements for GNSS position verification.
- QascomminorPartner in LOCFIT project led by Thales Alenia Space France, developing infrastructure-based position-bounding solutions that verify GNSS positions using satellite communication uplink measurements.
- TraxensminorPartner in LOCFIT project developing position-bounding solutions using satellite communication for container tracking and critical asset transportation security.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kinéis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Astrocast: Swiss operator of a LEO nanosatellite constellation providing direct-to-satellite IoT connectivity for asset tracking, maritime, and industrial applications — the closest functional and architectural competitor to Kinéis.
- Lacuna Space: Operates LPWAN-over-satellite IoT services using a LEO constellation, targeting agriculture, logistics, and environmental monitoring — directly comparable technology and go-to-market to Kinéis.
- OQ Technology: Provides 5G NB-IoT over satellite using LEO satellites, serving asset tracking, energy, and industrial IoT — a direct narrowband satellite IoT peer pursuing similar customers and use cases.
- Myriota: Australian provider of low-power, direct-to-satellite IoT connectivity for agriculture, logistics, and environmental monitoring, with a comparable business model and target verticals.
- Fleet Space Technologies: Australian LEO nanosatellite operator focused on satellite IoT for mining, utilities, and industrial asset monitoring — directly comparable in architecture and end markets.
- Swarm Technologies (SpaceX): Operates a LEO smallsat constellation for low-cost global IoT/M2M connectivity, now part of SpaceX — the most heavily capitalized direct competitor in narrowband satellite IoT.
Broad incumbents
- Iridium Communications: Large incumbent LEO operator offering IoT/M2M services (Iridium Edge, SBD) across logistics, maritime, and government — broader portfolio but overlapping IoT value proposition.
- Inmarsat (Viasat): GEO satellite operator providing global IoT/cellular backhaul for maritime, energy, and government customers — an incumbent alternative in the same customer base with a different orbital architecture.
- Thuraya (Space42 / Yahsat): Mobile satellite services operator with IoT and M2M offerings for government, energy, and maritime — broad incumbent in satellite IoT with overlapping target segments.
Others
- Sigfox: Terrestrial 0G/LPWAN IoT network operator with a comparable low-power, low-bandwidth IoT thesis — relevant as an adjacent/competing technology to satellite IoT in connected-asset markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kinéis social profiles
Digital presenceKinéis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kinéis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Kinéis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kinéis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kinéis
What does Kinéis do?
Kinéis operates Europe's first constellation of 25 nanosatellites in low Earth orbit, providing global 100% satellite IoT connectivity for tracking, monitoring, and alerting of connected assets in areas without terrestrial network coverage. The company delivers bidirectional, low-power IoT data transmission services across oceans, deserts, forests, and remote land areas, supported by 20 ground stations worldwide and a 24/7 operations center. Revenue is generated through subscription-based connectivity services and usage-based data transmission fees to enterprise customers, governments, and a partner ecosystem of device manufacturers and system integrators.
Is Kinéis a public or private company?
Kinéis is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Kinéis founded?
Kinéis was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kinéis based?
Kinéis is headquartered in Ramonville-saint-agne, France, in the Europe region.
How does Kinéis make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Satellite IoT Connectivity Services are the primary driver. The others are ioT Device Data Transmission.
Who are Kinéis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Astrocast, Lacuna Space, OQ Technology, Myriota, Fleet Space Technologies and Swarm Technologies (SpaceX). Broad incumbents are Iridium Communications, Inmarsat (Viasat) and Thuraya (Space42 / Yahsat). Sigfox is listed as an others.
Does Kinéis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kinéis.
What industry is Kinéis in?
Kinéis's product category is Satellite IoT Connectivity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAJAF, Satellite IoT & Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Connectivity (LPWAN over Satellite). Its NAICS code is 517410 and its SIC code is 3576.