What SpirOps does

SpirOps is an independent artificial intelligence laboratory founded in 2004 in Paris, France, operating as a privately held SARL (SIREN 45152296500024) with 11-50 employees. The company develops symbolic AI technologies — explicitly not machine learning — that enable complex autonomous behaviors to emerge from deterministic, explainable rules and that run without training data on consumer-grade hardware. Its product portfolio centers on four pillars developed over time: crowd simulation (since 2007), a procedural animation engine (since 2009), Level 3/4 autonomous driving AI (since 2015), and artificial memory and dialogue systems for simulated agents. Supporting modules include a patented Drive Oriented decision-making engine, multi-sensor fusion, HD semantic mapping built on HERE HD LiveMap, an acquisition and deterministic-replay system, and a simulation and testing suite, all built in C++.

The company serves industrial enterprise customers through consortium-based applied R&D projects rather than selling packaged software products, with engagements typically spanning multiple years. Named partners include Stellantis (Level 3/4 car prototypes across Highway Chauffeur, SAM, and L4 projects since 2015), SNCF, Alstom, Bosch, Thales, RATP, IRT Railenium, HERE Technologies, and BPI France, alongside crowd-simulation customers such as Renault, Sodexo, IdFMobilités, and CSI. Active programs include MARS LGV (autonomous security reconnaissance on French high-speed rail, supported by France 2030) and prior work on the Autonomous Train Passenger Service. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and revenue is generated through professional-services-style R&D contracts.

SpirOps is founder-owned and operated (co-founded by Jerome Hoibian and Axel Buendia, with associates Denis Rafin and William Ledoux on the Autonomous Vehicle team), with no disclosed external venture or institutional investors. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales — direct engagement with major French and European industrials and transport operators — supplemented by a corporate website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and YouTube channels. Geographic focus is France with adjacent European activity through HERE Technologies, and no global expansion is disclosed.

Name

SpirOps

Legal name

SpirOps

Website

https://spirops.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SpirOps is a Paris-based independent AI laboratory founded in 2004, developing symbolic, explainable AI for crowd simulation, autonomous driving, procedural animation, and artificial memory via multi-year R&D consortium partnerships with industrial enterprises including Stellantis, SNCF, Alstom, Bosch, Thales, and RATP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Applied R&D Projects with Industrial Partners: Revenue is generated through collaborative R&D projects with major industrial partners (Stellantis, SNCF, Alstom, Bosch, Thales, RATP). Projects involve development of AI simulation systems for autonomous vehicles, crowd simulation, and procedural animation. Engagement typically through consortium-based projects, including government-supported initiatives (France 2030).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SpirOps is an independent AI lab that builds symbolic-AI software products for safety-critical and simulation use cases. Its core offerings include a crowd simulation platform, an autonomous-driving AI stack for Level 3/4 vehicles, a real-time procedural animation engine, and an artificial memory & dialogue system, all delivered as applied R&D collaborations with industrial partners rather than off-the-shelf software.

Product overview

SpirOps is an independent AI research laboratory (founded 2004) offering a portfolio of AI products centered on simulation and autonomous decision-making. The core offerings include Crowd Simulation (individual AI agents with desires and behaviors), Autonomous Driving AI (Level 3/4 vehicle technology), Procedural Animation Engine (real-time movement generation), and Memory & Dialogue AI (artificial memory for agents). Key supporting technologies include Drive Oriented Technology (symbolic decision-making without machine learning), Walk Engine (procedural locomotion), VR Animation Layer, HD Mapping Tools, Multi-Sensor Fusion, Acquisition/Replay System, and Simulation/Testing Suite. The company develops proprietary C++ tools using symbolic AI approaches that emphasize explainability, determinism, and energy efficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crowd Simulation AI-powered crowd simulation software in which each agent has its own desires, personal characteristics, and subjective knowledge of the world, supporting realistic pedestrian behavior in cities, public transport, tourist attractions, and offices. Used by transport operators, theme parks, corporate real estate teams, and robotics developers.
• Autonomous Driving AI AI software stack for Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous vehicles, covering data acquisition, sensor fusion, intelligent decision-making, HD mapping, positioning, and simulation/testing. Built using symbolic AI so that decisions are explainable in real time, deterministic, and machine-learning-free. Used by automotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers.
• Procedural Animation Engine Real-time procedural animation engine that generates character movements according to physical rules and automatically adapts to a wide variety of humanoid skeletons. Targets video game developers, VR application creators, and entertainment studios needing realistic, real-time animated figures.
• Memory & Dialogue AI Artificial memory system that can be incorporated into simulated agents, enabling real-time information acquisition, linkage to older knowledge, inference generation, and the agent's own representation of the world. The knowledge supports autonomous decision-making and interaction with other agents or external users.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% onboard processing and decision-making - no cloud dependency
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stellantis (formerly PSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Since 2015, SpirOps has been working with Stellantis on Level 3 and 4 autonomous car prototyping. Projects include Highway Chauffeur (2015-2019), SAM Project (2019-2023), and L4 Project (since 2023). SpirOps provides data acquisition, fusion, decision-making, and simulation capabilities.
• SNCFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on autonomous train projects including MARS LGV (Autonomous Mobile Units for Security Reconnaissance) and Autonomous Train Passenger Service (2018-2023). SpirOps contributes to operational center design and decision-making systems.
• IRT RaileniumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch consortium partner for autonomous train and vehicle projects. IRT Railenium is a French research institute focused on railway technologies.
• AlstomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Autonomous Train Passenger Service project (2018-2023) focused on decision-making during obstacle detection for autonomous trains.
• BoschcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in autonomous train passenger service project, contributing sensor and system expertise to autonomous rail systems.
• ThalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Autonomous Train Passenger Service project, contributing to the development of autonomous train systems.
• RATPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on crowd simulation projects for public transportation environments.
• Forsee PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MARS LGV autonomous security reconnaissance project for high-speed rail lines.
• Compagnie des SignauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MARS LGV autonomous security reconnaissance project for high-speed rail lines.
• Socofer FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MARS LGV autonomous security reconnaissance project for high-speed rail lines.
• IdFMobilitésminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerÎle-de-France Mobilités partner for crowd simulation in transportation networks.
• RenaultminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for crowd simulation and robotics interaction research.
• SodexominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for office and workplace crowd simulation applications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• HERE Technologies: HD mapping and location data provider that is both an existing integration partner of SpirOps (HERE HD LiveMap) and an adjacent ecosystem player in the AV/transport stack, supplying mapping capability rather than decision-making software.

Broad incumbents

• ANSYS: Engineering simulation software used to model autonomous systems, sensor performance, and traffic scenarios. Adjacent competitor that addresses the simulation layer of SpirOps' AV testing and crowd-flow use cases through physics-based rather than agent-based approaches.
• Dassault Systèmes: Provides 3DEXPERIENCE simulation and digital-twin platforms used across automotive, rail, and urban planning. Overlaps with SpirOps in crowd/city simulation and virtual prototyping for transportation clients such as SNCF and RATP-adjacent operators.
• Mobileye: Intel-owned incumbent supplying ADAS and AV perception/decision software to global OEMs. Overlaps with SpirOps in autonomous-driving decision software for OEM programs and competes for the same Stellantis-tier customer budgets.
• NVIDIA: Provides the dominant AI compute platform (DRIVE) underpinning modern AV stacks, including simulation and training infrastructure. Competes with SpirOps at the architecture level by advocating GPU-centric ML stacks and offering end-to-end autonomy toolchains.
• Bentley Systems: Infrastructure engineering software including transportation and crowd-flow simulation capabilities. Compares to SpirOps' crowd simulation offering for transit hubs, urban planning, and large venue use cases.
• Hexagon: Supplies sensor, positioning, and autonomy simulation stacks (e.g., Hexagon Autonomy Stack) to automotive and industrial customers. Competes with SpirOps' multi-sensor fusion and HD semantic mapping products and shares the same OEM and rail customer pool.

Direct peers

• Wayve: UK-based developer of AI for autonomous driving. Like SpirOps, Wayve pursues an alternative-to-classical-AV-stack approach (end-to-end machine learning) targeting Level 3/4 autonomy for OEM partners, making it a direct strategic parallel despite the opposite technology bet (ML vs. symbolic).
• Apex.AI: Builds safety-certified autonomous vehicle software stacks for OEMs and tier-1s. Its mission of production-grade autonomous systems software sold to industrial partners mirrors SpirOps' R&D-for-OEM business model in the same customer base.

Emerging players

• Massive Software: Specialist in agent-based crowd simulation historically used in film, games, and now urban/transport planning (now part of the Unity ecosystem). Direct niche peer to SpirOps' Crowd Simulation product for entertainment and transit-flow clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spirops_ai
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/spirops/videos
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/spirops

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 SpirOps