In the heart of France's Champagne region, far from the traditional aerospace hubs of Toulouse or Paris, SpaceTech startup Latitude is hoping to write a new chapter in European space history.
The company's mission is straightforward but ambitious: to develop and operate small launchers capable of delivering satellites into low Earth orbit. What sets Latitude apart in the increasingly crowded space launch market is its focus on high-frequency launches – targeting an unprecedented 50 launches per year once fully operational.
Latitude, founded in 2019, plans to launch its first commercial rocket in 2025. Just ahead of that milestone, the company announced that founder Stanislas Maximin would become executive chairman and be replaced as CEO by industry veteran Aurélie Bressollette.
Latitude is one of the startups that France, historically a leader in the Space economy, is hoping will help close the innovation gap as it's watched more ambitious startups like SpaceX seize the future. In an interview earlier this year, Maxmin said France must learn to go faster, but he remains optimistic about its chances of being an influential player.
"I'd say we have a better shot at winning this today compared to other countries," he said. "But we shot ourselves in the foot by taking way too long to act, which is the biggest issue regarding innovation. Now we are basically trying to catch up."
A Rapid Ascent
In just five years, Latitude has expanded from a startup to an organization of 140 employees, closing a $30 million Series B funding round earlier this year that brought its total capital raised to $55 million. The investment, supported by existing investors including Crédit Mutuel Innovation and Bpifrance, as well as newcomers like Blast.club, validated the company's progress and ambitious vision.
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