Wheere

Wheere is a French deep-tech company that provides a geolocation technology system for precise indoor and outdoor positioning of people and assets. The company was founded in 2020 by Pierre-Arnaud Coquelin (CEO) and Antoine Carrabin (CTO), who identified a market opportunity for a large-scale indoor localization solution. Coquelin's experience with his previous company, McLloyd, which focused on GPS tracking in sports, highlighted the gap in the indoor geolocation market.

Wheere's patented technology utilizes low-frequency waves and a proprietary algorithm to achieve sub-meter accuracy, even through dense obstacles like up to 50 meters of concrete. A key feature of the system is its scalability; just four antennas, or gateways, can cover an area of one square kilometer, geolocating an unlimited number of devices. This system operates independently of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems), ensuring functionality in GPS-denied environments. The product range includes gateways that transmit signals, electronic modules that can be integrated into third-party devices, ready-to-use trackers for people and objects, and cloud-based software for system administration and data visualization.

The company's business model involves the sale of its hardware, including gateways and trackers, and potentially recurring revenue through its cloud software and API integration. Wheere targets several key markets, including Industry 4.0, security and defense, healthcare, and smart cities. Applications range from optimizing logistics and enhancing worker safety on industrial sites to coordinating emergency response teams and managing equipment in hospitals. In July 2023, Wheere secured €11 million in a seed funding round from investors including Blast.Club, Sofilaro, and Bpifrance. The company has demonstrated its technology's capabilities, including a deployment for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in partnership with the Paris Fire Brigade.

Looking ahead, Wheere has an ambitious roadmap. By 2027, the company plans to release an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) version of its receiver module to significantly reduce size, cost, and power consumption. The long-term vision includes launching a constellation of LEO PNT (Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) satellites by 2030 to provide global coverage without the need for terrestrial antennas, aiming to become a worldwide standard for indoor positioning.

Keywords: indoor geolocation, asset tracking, low-frequency waves, GNSS independent, sub-meter accuracy, deep-tech, Industry 4.0, smart city solutions, defense technology, healthcare technology, security solutions, LEO PNT satellite constellation, object positioning, location-based services, GPS-denied environments, real-time location system, personnel tracking, industrial site safety, logistics optimization, emergency response coordination