A former fighter pilot and the first Commander of Space in France, Michel Friedling devoted more than thirty years to the French Air and Space Force, where he played a central role in defining France’s space strategy before co-founding Look Up Space in 2022 with Juan Carlos Dolado. Their ambition: make space operations safer and more sustainable through a global network of surveillance radars and a digital data-processing platform.

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In 2023, the Toulouse-based start-up raised €14m, including €7m in equity led by Karista (CosmiCapital) and MIG Capital, alongside investors such as Greg Wyler and Hélène Huby. This record European seed round in SpaceTech enabled the launch of the SORASYS radar demonstrator and the SYNAPSE digital platform. Two years later, in 2025, Look Up confirmed its ascent with a €50m Series A, one of the largest in Europe, in which Karista once again participated.

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In this joint interview, Michel Friedling and Emmanuel Daugeras, Partner at Karista, discuss their first meeting, the milestones achieved, and the challenges facing a start-up determined to become a global leader in space security.

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‍Do you remember the first timeLook Up met Karista? What struck you about each other?

Michel Friedling: yes, very clearly. It was in a café near the Arc de Triomphe - “The Placeto Be.” The meeting had been arranged by my co-founder Juan Carlos, who had probably been introduced to Emmanuel through CNES. Emmanuel arrived in what I can only describe as a rather unusual outfit - almost like an intergalactic jedi. He only travels around Paris on a one-wheel electric scooter, with all the protective gear that goes with it. I remember thinking “who is this unusual character?”

Emmanuel Daugeras: (laughs) the description is accurate! For context: Juan Carlos had heard about Karista through CNES, with whom we already had links. We had been looking closely at the topic of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) for some time. What immediately impressed me was the founding duo: Juan Carlos is a world-class technical expert, and Michel brings a rare strategic, organizational, and economic vision. That level of expertise and complementarity is unique in Europe.

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At the time, where was Look Up Space in its journey, and what mission had you set for yourselves?

Michel Friedling: we were at the very beginning. We had just closed a small pre-seed round with a few private investors and were starting to talk to funds for a seed round. The idea was to develop capabilities that we ourselves had lacked in our previous roles - as Commander of Space and as Head of the SSA department at CNES. The core mission hasn’t fundamentally changed: to deploy radars capable of detecting and tracking objects in low Earth orbit and to build a digital platform to process data from those radars and other sensors. We’ve broadened the scope since then, but the backbone remains the same.

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Since that first funding round, what have been the major milestones you’ve reached together?

Michel Friedling: several key ones: we proved we could design an operational radar and developed the first commercial version of our digital platform, already adopted by a government client. We’ve completed two funding rounds and grown from two founders with a PowerPoint to nearly 90 employees, mainly in mainland France but also in Polynesia, the US, the UK, and Taiwan.

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That’s impressive growth. Do you feel a difference compared to your past experiences, especially in terms of agility?

Michel Friedling: absolutely. This is a far more agile and dynamic adventure than anything I’d experienced before. Agility is actually one of our three core values, along with boldness and excellence. We’re convinced that, in today’s world, it’s the fastest - not necessarily the biggest - who win. That said, moving fast can be a double-edged sword: institutional players sometimes struggle to keep pace and  adapt to the arrival of new entrants.

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From Karista’s side, beyond the financial investment, what has been your role in this journey?

Michel Friedling: without Karista, Look Up Space wouldn’t exist today. They were the first to believe in us and led our initial funding round. Emmanuel has also supported us through key phases, bringing valuable insight and advice.

Emmanuel Daugeras: our role as seed investors is to bet on the best teams and help them reach their potential. From the start, we built the first round and helped bring in additional investors. Then, we step in when needed - and know how to step back when the team has it under control. What stands out about Look Up is their ability to think big, execute fast, and structure the organization with real professionalism.

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You recently announced a €50m Series A at the Paris Air Show. What are your ambitions for the next few years?

Michel Friedling: our ambition hasn’t changed: by 2030, to become a global reference in space-activity security. The next challenges are all about execution: putting our first radar into operational service, deploying the next ones in Polynesia and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, growing revenue, and preparing for another fundraising round - all while structuring a team that will soon exceed 100 people.

Emmanuel Daugeras: I’d add that Look Up has a unique opportunity to set the standard in this emerging market. SSA is still nascent, but it’s coming fast. The key will be to move beyond raw data collection toward high-value applications that differentiate the company and secure its long-term position.

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Finally, what keeps you up at night?

Michel Friedling: probably the long flights to Polynesia or Japan! More seriously: what keeps me up is creating value - transforming Look Up into a company worth several hundred million euros within five years.

Emmanuel Daugeras: I share that concern. But I’m confident - the team has the ambition, agility, and vision to meet those challenges.

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