European Investment Bank backs Exosens with €140M

Exosens, the Paris-listed photonics company with sensor expertise ranging across the electromagnetic spectrum, has secured €140 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB) that will be invested in defense and surveillance technologies.

Headquartered in Mérignac, near Bordeaux, Exosens has grown significantly in recent years, thanks largely to the acquisition of companies including Xenics, Photonis, Noxant, Phasics, and Night Vision Laser Spain, and posted sales of €468 million in 2025.

Dual-use photonics

The EIB financing deal is intended to bolster Exosens’ innovation efforts and industrial investments in dual-use photonics technologies for night vision and imaging applications, including at the firm’s state-of-the-art facility in Brive-la-Gaillarde.

It also provides the company with access to a long-term financing instrument on favorable terms, with a maturity of up to seven years, something intended to support a long-term growth strategy and further strengthen technological capabilities.

Exosens CEO Jérôme Cerisier commented: “We are delighted to receive the support of the EIB. This financing recognizes our technological leadership and strategic role within Europe’s industrial ecosystem.

“It will enable us to bolster our innovation efforts and industrial investments, while further strengthening our position as a trusted, ITAR-free supplier of critical dual-use photonics technologies supporting Europe’s defense and security capabilities and industrial sovereignty.”

Defense-focused financing

EIB vice president Ambroise Fayolle added: “The EIB quadrupled its financing for security and defense in 2025, raising it to more than €4 billion within the European Union, nearly 5 per cent of the total.

“Our goal for 2026 is to maintain this level of ambition and reach 5 per cent of total annual financing dedicated to security and defense.

“This agreement with Exosens shows that we are on the right track. France, which received €670 million last year, thus remains one of the main beneficiaries in this field.”

Cerisier said earlier this year that Exosens was witnessing a marked acceleration in demand for defense imaging applications as countries in Europe increase military spending budgets, with surveillance and counter-drone technologies rapidly emerging as critical priorities.

The company has become a key provider of new “5G” image intensifier tubes for night vision goggles, and also sees a major growth opportunity emerging in the US.

After jumping by more than 20 per cent in 2025, its total sales are expected to rise strongly again this year, to somewhere between €520 million and €540 million.