For more than ten years, NanoXplore has evolved in the discreet but strategic field of high-reliability electronic components for space. Its radiation-hardened FPGAs have gradually found their place within major European programs, where robustness and technological mastery are absolute prerequisites. This positioning, long confined to a demanding niche, now serves as the basis for a broader trajectory.
The company is undertaking a change of scale by directing a growing part of its activity towards defense uses. This development corresponds to a logical extension of already proven brick applications; defense shares with space a requirement for critical reliability, while introducing new constraints linked to security, energy consumption and integration into complex operational systems.
Modern military systems increasingly rely on embedded, reconfigurable and resilient computing capabilities. Drones, land platforms, aeronautical or naval equipment integrate advanced software functions, sometimes artificial intelligence, which reinforce the role of programmable components at the heart of architectures. In this context, the FPGAs designed by NanoXplore find broader markets, beyond just the spatial perimeter.
Diversification towards defense is accompanied by work to adapt existing technologies. The components must meet increased requirements in terms of cybersecurity, data protection and very low consumption, while maintaining the robustness properties that have made the company’s reputation. The stated objective is to offer secure FPGAs capable of integrating into systems deployed in various theaters of operations, with usage and maintenance constraints very different from those in space.
This industrial development is part of a broader context of recomposition of European defense value chains. Dependence on non-European components, long tolerated, is now the subject of increased attention, under the effect of geopolitical tensions and the tightening of extraterritorial regulations. NanoXplore’s ability to rely on an entirely European supply chain, known as ITAR free, constitutes in this context a differentiating element for manufacturers and public authorities.
MBDA’s entry into the capital brings in-depth knowledge of the operational needs and industrial constraints specific to European weapons systems. This proximity helps reduce the gap between technological development and real uses, in a sector where qualification and deployment cycles remain long.
Beyond the development of new products, NanoXplore has a broader ambition for growth on a European scale. Critical microelectronics remains a fragmented sector, marked by a dispersion of skills and industrial capabilities. Based on this fundraising, the company intends to support a targeted external growth strategy, aimed at broadening its technological portfolio and strengthening the European industrial base in a field considered strategic.
Founded in 2013, NanoXplore announces a fundraising of 20 million euros from MBDA and the Defense Innovation Fund, subscribed in particular by the Defense Innovation Agency and managed by Bpifrance. This operation aims to support its diversification into defense and its growth strategy in Europe.
