Kayrros, the leading advanced data analytics company focused on satellite imagery and alternative data for enhanced decision-making, has been selected as one of just 20 companies included in the French government’s “French Tech - Green20” program for start-ups.
Kayrros and the other 19 start-ups selected will benefit from support from the French government’s “French Tech” project, similar to what is offered to the start-ups chosen as part of the “French Tech Next40/120” program. Support will include access to a network of French Tech correspondents from more than 60 public services, with the aim of creating technology leaders whose innovation capacity will drive forward the ecological transition.
The selected companies, which were chosen from 200 applicants, were revealed this week by Barbara Pompili, France’s Ecology Transition Minister, and Cédric O, Minister of State for the Digital Transition and Electronic Communication in the French government.
In its successful application, Kayrros highlighted its “Methane Watch” product which detects and allocates major methane emissions from the energy sector, on a daily basis, around the world. The application also highlighted the direct positive impact that the product has on reducing emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that causes 86 times more warming than the equivalent weight of CO2. Specifically, Kayrros’ successful application highlighted the value of the transparency that its remote sensing technologies provide, allowing energy investors, consumers and regulators to set more ambitious targets.
Methane Watch quantifies sources and produces monthly emissions reports, which in turns facilitates the measurement of emissions reduction on a list of assets, a company or a country. Environmental impact can then be measured by aggregating the sources identified and eliminated by Kayrros’ Methane Watch clients. Kayrros is also collaborating with the Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE, Climate and Environment Sciences Laboratory) on the implementation of the carbonmonitor.org website which tracks CO2 emissions at national and sectoral level.
Reflecting on the accolade, Kayrros president and founder Antoine Rostand said: “Kayrros is honored to have been included within such a prestigious and important scheme by the French government. We have made it our mission since our foundation in 2016 to bring transparency and solutions to the energy transition and we are delighted to have received such high-profile recognition for the success and impact that we have had and to receive the support for future growth.
“The technology that we create to monitor and certify the decarbonization of the energy system has an important role to play in the ecological transition and we are excited to continue playing this role together with the other innovative winners of the French Tech - Green20 initiative,” Rostand concluded.
Kayrros’ application also highlighted its work on a new a product, “Biomass Watch”. The company is developing the new product in conjunction with the LSCE in Paris to measure the carbon content of forests in order to quantify and certify biomass carbon sequestration projects at a reduced cost.
The “French Tech - Green20” jury, which comprised a range of tech CEOs and members of the media, selected Kayrros and the other winning greentech start-ups on the basis of environmental impact and potential to grow rapidly and at scale.
The “French Tech - Green20” program is the first part of the global “French Tech for the Planet” initiative, which was launched in late 2020 and aims to make the ecological transition a key axis of the French economy.