Kinéis

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.

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

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

• Satellite IoT connectivity
• Nanosatellite constellation services
• Maritime vessel tracking
• Remote asset monitoring
• IoT data transmission

Headquarters

HQ city

Ramonville-saint-agne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Core 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

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSEG 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 VesseltrackercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 NetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationDryad 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.
• CLScoreTechnology or IntegrationCLS 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationEuroporte, 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.
• KerlinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationKerlink 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 LabcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRocket 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.
• HemeriacoreTechnology or IntegrationHemeria, 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 FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThales 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.
• QascomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in LOCFIT project led by Thales Alenia Space France, developing infrastructure-based position-bounding solutions that verify GNSS positions using satellite communication uplink measurements.
• TraxensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/KineisIoT
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCk9BrOiUxGc89MrmnhGTRpg
• Facebookfacebook.com/KineisIoT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kineis-argos/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/kineis_iot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kinéis