NanoXplore raises €20 million from MBDA and Bpifrance to accelerate its diversification into defense and its growth in support of European strategic sovereignty

MBDA and the Defense Innovation Fund, subscribed in particular by the French Defense Innovation Agency and managed by Bpifrance, take a stake in NanoXplore, the French champion of high-reliability components and European electronic sovereignty.

Paris, December 18, 2025 – NanoXplore, a French high-tech company and a leading European player in the design of high-reliability electronic chips for the space, defense and avionics markets, announces a €20 million funding round from MBDA and the Defense Innovation Fund managed by Bpifrance.

This transaction marks a new milestone in NanoXplore’s history and strengthens its positioning at the heart of European electronic sovereignty. The funds raised will enable the company to accelerate its diversification into defense, through the development of security-oriented products, and to support a targeted external growth strategy in Europe.

A French independent family-owned company founded in 2013, NanoXplore has built, in just over a decade, a unique position in the rad-hard components market. The company notably produces FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), programmable and reconfigurable integrated circuits that are “hardened” against radiation (“rad-hard”) so they can continue operating in extreme environments such as space or certain defense systems. NanoXplore’s circuits are already embedded in major space programs including Galileo and Copernicus. They provide a sovereign alternative to non-European components.

NanoXplore relies on a 100% European supply chain, including for the manufacturing of its chips, making it a key player in the so-called “ITAR-free” strategy, i.e., not subject to U.S. defense export regulations. This control of the value chain, from design to final product, addresses the security, resilience and technological autonomy needs of the space and defense sectors, and contributes to strengthening Europe’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base (DTIB).

The €20M raised pursues a dual objective:

• First, to accelerate NanoXplore’s diversification from space into defense by developing a new generation of components specifically designed for these uses (secured FPGAs, ultra-low power) and adapting existing technologies to the needs of land, air and naval systems.
• Second, to support a growth strategy in Europe through strategic acquisitions of companies and complementary expertise, in order to broaden the product portfolio and consolidate Europe’s industrial base in critical microelectronics.

The joint arrival of MBDA and Bpifrance in NanoXplore’s capital reflects a convergence of interests around a shared ambition: supporting the company’s scaling journey in service of European strategic technological sovereignty. MBDA brings its industrial footprint and deep understanding of European armed forces’ operational needs. Bpifrance, through the Defense Innovation Fund, aligns this transaction with its strategy to support the French defense technological and industrial base, backing an SME that plays a key role in securing the electronic components supply chain as an essential European champion in its field.

Édouard Lepape, CEO of NanoXplore, said: “With MBDA and Bpifrance joining our shareholding, NanoXplore is entering a new phase of development. As an independent French company, we have shown that it is possible to design and produce state-of-the-art advanced electronic chips in Europe. This funding round will allow us to go further: accelerate our diversification into defense with products specifically designed for these markets, while continuing a strategy of targeted acquisitions in Europe. Our ambition is clear: to make NanoXplore the reference player for European electronic sovereignty.”

Nicolas Berdou, Investment Director of the Defense Innovation Fund at Bpifrance, said: “This equity investment fully aligns with the strategy of the Defense Innovation Fund. NanoXplore embodies exactly what we aim to support: an innovative French SME mastering technologies that are critical to our sovereignty. Their ‘ITAR-free’ approach with a 100% European supply chain addresses the strategic priorities of our defense technological and industrial base. By supporting the growth of this technology champion—its diversification from space into defense and its European growth strategy—we are helping strengthen Europe’s technological autonomy in a sector as sensitive as critical microelectronics.”

About NanoXplore

NanoXplore is a French fabless company designing radiation-hardened FPGA components for high-reliability environments, particularly in space and avionics. The company recently launched NG-ULTRA, the world’s most advanced radiation-hardened SoC FPGA. Active internationally, NanoXplore is the European leader in the design and development of SoC FPGA technologies and a key partner to leading aerospace players.

About the Defense Innovation Fund and Bpifrance

Created in 2020 at the initiative of the French Defense Innovation Agency and managed by Bpifrance, the Defense Innovation Fund supports the growth and development of innovative companies whose dual-use technologies are of particular interest to the defense sector, through equity and quasi-equity investments. With close to €320 million in capital, the fund contributes to the emergence of new players of critical size at the French and European levels.

Bpifrance’s equity investments are carried out by Bpifrance Investissement. Bpifrance finances companies at every stage of their development through loans, guarantees and equity. It supports them in their innovation projects and international expansion. Bpifrance also provides export support through a wide range of products. Advisory services, a learning platform, networking and acceleration programs for startups, SMEs and mid-caps are also part of the offering for entrepreneurs. With 50 regional offices, entrepreneurs benefit from a nearby, single and effective point of contact to support them and help them meet their challenges.

For more information, please visit: https://www.bpifrance.com