CLS Groupe

Name

CLS Groupe

Legal name

Collecte Localisation Satellites

Website

https://cls.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Satellite Earth Observation & Environmental Monitoring Services

NAICS

Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational Services to Shipping (488330), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD), Nautical Safety, Navigation Aids & Hydrographic Services (TLAHAFAE), Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI), Environmental Data Management Platforms (EHS/EMS, LIMS, ELN, Compliance Data Hubs) (EUAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Satellite earth observation
• Fisheries monitoring systems
• Maritime surveillance solutions
• Satellite IoT connectivity
• Environmental data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Ramonville-saint-agne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Satellite Services Contracts: Large-scale government contracts for satellite monitoring, maritime surveillance, and environmental services. Key example: ~$100M (€93M) MMS contract with Indonesia's BMKG for maritime meteorology infrastructure and services. Revenue is project-based with multi-year timelines.
2. Satellite Beacon Hardware & Monitoring Services: Sale and deployment of connected satellite beacons (NEMO, TRITON, ROCKFLEET, etc.) combined with satellite connectivity and monitoring platform subscriptions. Includes VMS systems for fisheries authorities and maritime security agencies.
3. Environmental Data & Analytics: Processed satellite data, ocean modeling outputs (SEAPODYM), biodiversity mapping, and AI-driven environmental intelligence sold to governments, RFMOs, and environmental organizations.
4. Argos IoT Satellite Services: Satellite IoT connectivity and services for environmental monitoring, smart agriculture, livestock management, and wildlife conservation, powered by the Kinéis constellation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CLS Groupe designs, operates, and sells satellite-based Earth observation, environmental monitoring, fisheries management, and maritime surveillance solutions for governments and large organizations. Its core offering combines the historic Argos satellite IoT connectivity system, a portfolio of ruggedized vessel/animal/pollution beacons, SAR-based Earth observation platforms (THEMIS SAR, MAS, VIGISAT), the SEAPODYM ecosystem and fish-stock modeling suite, the new-generation Maritime Meteorology System (MMS), and AI-driven biodiversity mapping and underwater noise monitoring services.

Product overview

CLS Groupe operates a comprehensive satellite services and environmental monitoring platform centered on the Argos satellite system. The core Argos infrastructure provides global IoT connectivity for tracking wildlife, monitoring oceans, and managing fisheries. Built upon this foundation are specialized solutions including NEMO, TRITON, and ROCKFLEET satellite beacons for vessel monitoring; THEMIS SAR and MAS for maritime surveillance; SEAPODYM for marine ecosystem modeling; VIGISAT for SAR imagery; MMS for maritime meteorology; and Quiet-Oceans (with Quonops technology) for underwater acoustic monitoring. Recent acquisitions include Ground Control (satellite IoT), EIS-ME (air quality/environmental monitoring), and NGIS (geospatial solutions), expanding capabilities across environmental monitoring, critical infrastructure security, and biodiversity mapping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Argos: Satellite-based monitoring and tracking system for environmental and wildlife applications
• MAS
• THEMIS SAR
• VIGISAT
• SEAPODYM
• ROCKFLEET
• NEMO
• TRITON
• HUMANAV
• Quiet-Oceans
• EAZY COLLECTE

Products and services

• Argos Satellite IoT Service Global satellite-based location and data collection system providing IoT connectivity for environmental monitoring, wildlife tracking, maritime surveillance, smart agriculture, and asset tracking. The historic Argos system underpins CLS offerings and has enabled tracking of 400,000+ animals and thousands of environmental sensors worldwide.
• NEMO VMS Beacon Satellite beacon designed for artisanal and traditional fishing vessels, providing near real-time vessel tracking, IUU fishing combat, catch traceability, and an emergency alert button via hybrid satellite/GSM connectivity. Sold to fisheries authorities and conservation programs such as the Galápagos Life Fund deployment of 2,000 units in Ecuador.
• TRITON VMS Beacon Industrial fishing vessel monitoring beacon transmitting real-time satellite positioning data even in areas beyond conventional communication networks. Used by fisheries authorities (e.g., MINEPIA/BCSAP Cameroon) for fisheries compliance and surveillance.
• VIGISAT SAR Station Network Network of reception, processing, and analysis stations for high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, enabling all-weather Earth observation for maritime surveillance, coastal monitoring, and environmental applications.
• THEMIS SAR Platform Digital platform for visualization and management of maritime activities, providing vessel positioning data acquisition and fisheries monitoring center capabilities through a big-data backend. Deployed in 60+ fisheries monitoring centers worldwide (e.g., Galápagos National Park since 2015).
• MAS (Maritime Surveillance System) Comprehensive maritime domain awareness system delivering strategic data for maritime security, vessel tracking, and ocean sustainability. Sold to national governments including India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand under multi-year strategic contracts.
• ROCKFLEET Satellite Beacon Satellite beacon for coastal fishing vessel tracking, deployed for mass deployment across French maritime territory under new fishing regulations. Provides real-time satellite position reporting beyond terrestrial coverage.
• SHIPLOC Satellite Beacon Vessel tracking beacon for merchant fleet monitoring and regulatory compliance, including SSAS (Ship Security Alert System) functionality for anti-piracy measures on commercial vessels.
• LINK-IT Scientific Beacon Beacon for tracking oceanographic floats, buoys, and drones, enabling real-time monitoring and data collection for oceanographic research and protection of high-value research equipment.
• NAOS Beacon Beacon for tracking fishing gear including nets and Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), supporting fisheries regulation, environmental impact reduction, and local economic sustainability.
• MARGE-T II Pollution Tracking Beacon Pollution tracking beacon deployed to monitor plastic drift, hydrocarbon spills, biological pollution, and Sargassum seaweed displacement in marine environments for environmental agencies.
• SEAPODYM Ecosystem Model Marine ecosystem and fish stock dynamics modeling tool that simulates the effects of climate variability on ocean conditions, food webs, and species distribution, supporting sustainable fisheries management and El Niño–style event impact studies.
• MMS (Maritime Meteorology System) Next-generation Maritime Meteorology System delivering real-time meteorological and oceanographic forecasting, high-performance computing (2 petaflops), 6 petabytes storage, AI-based probabilistic modeling, and coastal flood early warnings. Implemented for Indonesia's BMKG under a ~€93M multi-year national contract covering 200+ oceanographic instruments.
• HUMANAV Humanitarian Tracking Platform Humanitarian vessel tracking and safety platform providing location and security services for humanitarian fleet operations in extreme or high-risk environments.
• EAZY COLLECTE Environmental Data Platform Environmental monitoring platform for data collection and analysis, part of CLS's suite of digital platforms for environmental surveillance and in-situ sensor data aggregation.
• Quiet-Oceans / Quonops Underwater Noise Monitoring Underwater acoustic monitoring, prediction, and mitigation technology for assessing and mitigating the acoustic impact of human activities on marine biodiversity. Used by offshore wind, oil & gas, and maritime construction firms for environmental impact assessments and licensing compliance.
• AI Biodiversity Cartography Service (Occitanie) AI-driven biodiversity mapping service that classifies and maps hundreds of natural habitat types from high-resolution satellite imagery (Sentinel, VIGISAT SAR) integrated with ecological field expertise, delivered as regional-scale cartography with annual updates.
• EIS-ME Environmental & Industrial Monitoring (Middle East) Environmental and industrial monitoring services covering air quality, industrial emissions, noise pollution, vibrations, water quality, and electromagnetic field monitoring across the Middle East, sold directly to enterprises and governments through 3 regional offices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000 artisanal fishing vessels monitored in real-time around the Galápagos Marine Reserve
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability9 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, regional, flagship and core.

• BiotopemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Biotope (expert in ecological engineering for 33 years) leads the naturalist field team for the Occitanie biodiversity mapping project. Biotope developed custom features within its Shuriken application for habitat mapping, contributing specialized ecological expertise and coordinating with ECO-MED, ENVOLIS, and NATURALIA for field sampling.
• ECO-MED, ENVOLIS, NATURALIA (Ecological study firms)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Ecological consulting firms historically established in Occitanie that contribute expert botanists and field naturalists to sample and classify habitats, providing training data for CLS's AI models in the regional biodiversity mapping program.
• Galápagos Life Fund (GLF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026GLF is financing the deployment of 2,000 NEMO satellite beacons by CLS and its local distributor Infopront to monitor artisanal fishing vessels around the Galápagos Marine Reserve in Ecuador. This makes Ecuador the first South American country to connect a significant portion of its artisanal fleet by satellite, funded by GLF's Hermandad Transitional Assistance Plan.
• Infopront (Ecuador local distributor)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 April 2026Local distributor in Ecuador responsible for on-the-ground deployment and support of NEMO beacon installations, working alongside CLS and the Galápagos Life Fund.
• ETS BETHANIES (Cameroon)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 March 2026Local partner in Cameroon collaborating with BCSAP and MINEPIA for the deployment of NEMO and TRITON VMS beacons for fisheries monitoring in Cameroonian waters.
• Quiet-OceansmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2024CLS acquired Quiet-Oceans, the French leader in passive underwater acoustics, forecasting, monitoring, and noise mitigation. Quiet-Oceans provides Quonops technology for underwater noise monitoring and marine biodiversity impact assessment. The acquisition (17th by CLS) strengthens CLS's ocean protection capabilities, adding acoustic monitoring to its satellite-based environmental services.
• ENVIRO & INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS MIDDLE EAST (EIS-ME)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024CLS acquired EIS-ME, a leading Middle East provider of environmental and industrial monitoring solutions covering air quality, emissions, noise, vibrations, water quality, and EMF monitoring. The acquisition (16th by CLS) brought 3 offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat, enabling CLS's first direct presence in the Middle East.
• KinéiscoreTechnology or Integration · 12 September 2023Kinéis is a spatial IoT company (created in 2018 as a spin-off from CNES and CLS) that operates a 25-nanosatellite constellation providing global satellite IoT connectivity. CLS uses the Kinéis constellation to power its Argos Smart Environment solutions, with connectivity enhancements as each batch of nanosatellites is launched. The Kinéis constellation has completed 5 launches, with 20+ nanosatellites now in orbit, enabling near-real-time IoT connectivity for CLS solutions.
• PRIME and SAT ONE (Brazil)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2023CLS acquired PRIME and SAT ONE in Brazil, expanding its expertise and international network in maritime surveillance and satellite communication, strengthening its presence in South America.
• BMKG (Indonesia Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020BMKG contracted CLS for the development of Indonesia's next-generation Maritime Meteorology System (MMS). The ~$100M project delivers 200+ oceanographic instruments, high-performance computing (2 petaflops), AI-based probabilistic modeling, coastal flood early warnings, and a new marine meteorology center in Jakarta. Phase 1 began in 2020; Phase 2 was signed in 2025 with completion expected in 2028.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JASCO Applied Sciences: JASCO provides underwater acoustic monitoring, marine mammal observation, and ocean noise impact assessments for offshore energy and government clients. It directly competes with Quiet-Oceans, the CLS subsidiary specializing in acoustic impact assessment.
• SRT Marine Systems: SRT Marine Systems provides VMS, fisheries monitoring, and maritime surveillance solutions to governments worldwide, including vessel transponders and coastal monitoring systems. It competes head-to-head with CLS's NEMO, TRITON, and THEMIS products in the fisheries monitoring space.
• Pole Star Space Applications: Pole Star provides satellite-based vessel tracking, maritime intelligence, and sanctions compliance services for commercial shipping and government agencies. It overlaps with CLS's maritime surveillance and HUMANAV humanitarian tracking offerings.
• exactEarth (L3Harris): exactEarth, now part of L3Harris, operates a satellite AIS data service for global vessel tracking and maritime surveillance. It is the closest direct competitor to CLS's vessel monitoring and maritime domain awareness solutions, competing for similar government and commercial fisheries customers.

Broad incumbents

• Kongsberg Maritime: Kongsberg Maritime is a large established supplier of maritime domain awareness, vessel traffic services, and ocean monitoring systems for navies and port authorities. It is broader in scope than CLS but overlaps on government maritime surveillance and integrated monitoring platforms.
• Iridium Communications: Iridium provides global satellite IoT and voice/data connectivity through its LEO constellation, including maritime and asset-tracking services. It is a broader incumbent whose IoT network competes with CLS's Kinéis constellation for connected-beacon applications.
• Saab (Maritime domain awareness): Saab offers comprehensive maritime domain awareness and coastal surveillance solutions, including radar, sensors, and command-and-control systems for defense and government customers. It competes with CLS in national-scale maritime monitoring projects but from a broader defense prime perspective.

Emerging players

• Astrocast: Astrocast operates a nanosatellite IoT constellation providing global satellite connectivity for asset tracking and environmental monitoring. It is an emerging competitor to CLS's Kinéis-based IoT services for low-cost connected devices.
• Planet Labs: Planet Labs operates the world's largest fleet of Earth observation satellites delivering high-cadence imagery for environmental monitoring and analytics. It is a partial competitor and complementary data source for CLS's environmental and biodiversity mapping programs.
• Spire Global: Spire Global operates a nanosatellite constellation providing maritime AIS data, weather intelligence, and Earth observation analytics. It is a younger, publicly-traded peer that competes with CLS on vessel tracking and ocean data analytics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CLS_Group
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CLSatellites
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cls

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A6 records

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about CLS Groupe