Startup Claims Low-power IoT Geolocation Without a Positioning Chipset

By Anne-Françoise Pelé, EETimes.eu

Smartphone and in-vehicle navigation systems have some drawbacks. Localization accuracy in critical indoor and dense urban environments is often insufficient, and smartphone batteries drain faster. These challenges multiply when faced with the constraints and requirements of IoT applications. Paris-based Nestwave has decided to take a different approach to IoT geolocation and claims improved indoor sensitivity, better accuracy, and shorter time-to-first-fix.

Founded in 2014, Nestwave provides hybrid geolocation IP cores for integration within an IoT modem such as NB-IoT, Cat M1, LoRa, or Sigfox. The patented solution is claimed to improve accuracy in urban canyon environments, to reduce the power consumption and the cost when compared with existing solutions (2.5x accuracy and 1/10 of the power consumption at 1/3 of the cost of GNSS solutions).

In 2019, Nestwave closed an initial round of financing of €2 million to implement its innovation strategy, accelerate its development, and strengthen its commercial deployment. Earlier this year, the startup was awarded an additional €4 million as part of the European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot under Horizon 2020, the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

In July, Nestwave named Ambroise Popper as the CEO while former CEO Vincent Mouret became chairman of the board. Popper has a long track record in the wireless and IoT industry, as he co-founded Sequans Communications and held the position of vice-president of Strategy and Corporate Marketing at Quantenna Communications, acquired by On Semi in June 2019.

In a discussion with EE Times Europe, Popper explains what he thinks Nestwave brings to the market and how he plans to lead the startup’s next phase of growth.

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