Digital
March 11, 2024
Paris, February 9th, 2026
Karista announces the sale of its 30%stake in StereoLabs, a specialist in AI-basedenvironmental perception using vision, to U.S. company Ouster. Karista backed StereoLabs from the seedstage through its multi-sector Fund Karista 3, as the sole VC investor. This transaction generates anexceptional return of over 15x for Fund 3 investors.
Founded in 2010 on the vision of a breakthrough technology combining stereo-vision hardware with a scalable and customizable AI vision software platform, StereoLabs has established itself as a key player in visual environmental perception for automation, robotics,supply chain, industry, security, and autonomous mobility applications. Its solutions enable machines to perceive and understand their surroundings withaccuracy approaching human vision, opening the way to critical uses in complexand dynamic environments.
Since its investment as the first andonly financial investor, Karista has supported StereoLabs year after year through all stages of its development : technological structuring, industrial scaling, expansion of the hardware and software ecosystem, and international commercial deployment. Today, the company relies on a community of more than 100,000 developers, 10,000 customers, and has earned strong scientific recognition,with its technology cited in over 1,800 publications.
The hardware and software solution is used across a wide range of applications, from autonomous robotics and precision agriculture to digital twins, logistics automation, security, and operations optimization.
The sale to Ouster marks a new milestone for StereoLabs, providing the resources to accelerate its global expansion and strengthen its position in strategic markets, particularly in North America. The entire French team at StereoLabs, including its 50 employees,will remain based in Paris, France.
This transaction once again demonstrates Karista’s ability to identify, at a very early stage, founding teams developing differentiated deeptech technologies with applications across multiple sectors, support them overthe long term, and create sustainable value in highly technology-intensive industries. It confirms Karista’s expertise in backing deeptech companies able to become global leaders. StereoLabs also reflects the investmentstrategy of Karista’s upcoming deeptech funds focused on high-impacttechnological innovation, including fund KTechII, which is currently on-trackfor a first closing in 2026.
“This transaction perfectly embodies what we look for as investors at Karista : exceptional founders capable of building a differentiated technology and executing with discipline to turn it into a leading strategic asset. Value creation here stems as much from the quality of the initial vision as from consistent execution -particularly on the technological and industrial fronts-and the ability to target the right market segments for growth. We are proud of the journey accomplished and the sustainable value created for allstakeholders. This transaction not only validates the path taken by par Cécile Schmollgruber, Olivier Braun et Edwin Azzam, but also positions these entrepreneurs among the teams capable of building and scaling world-classassets,” comments Yvan-Michel Ehkirch, Managing Partner at Karista.
ADVISORS:
Financial advisors: Clipperton, Martin Vielle and Nicolas von Bullow
Lawyers: A&O Shearman, Romy Richter and Marie-Amélie Vieuille
Press contact:
Anna Casal +33 6 50 61 55 71
