Loading organizations...
Smart Me Up develops advanced embedded computer vision technology, specializing in real-time facial analysis and perception for various systems. The company’s core product extracts detailed information, such as gender and 3D head position, directly from video streams. This approach prioritizes scientific research to engineer disruptive perception technologies specifically optimized for resource-constrained embedded platforms, enabling on-device intelligence for demanding applications.
Loic Lecerf founded Smart Me Up, establishing the French start-up from an insight into the critical need for highly efficient and robust computer vision solutions capable of operating directly on embedded hardware. This addressed limitations of cloud-dependent vision processing, paving the way for low-latency, privacy-preserving, and power-efficient intelligent systems at the edge.
Smart Me Up’s technology serves industries requiring sophisticated, on-device contextual awareness, including automotive for advanced driver-assistance systems and smart environments. The company envisions intelligent systems accurately interpreting complex visual data in real-time, fostering enhanced autonomy and responsiveness across diverse real-world use cases.
Smart Me Up has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
Smart Me Up has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Smart Me Up has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Smart Me Up's investors include 50 Partners, Daphni, Flint Capital, ISAI, Kima Ventures, NewFund, Partech Ventures, Cyril Grislain.
Smart Me Up is a French technology company specializing in embedded computer vision and facial recognition software for low-cost processors and devices.[1][2][4] Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Meylan (near Grenoble), it develops lightweight AI technology that detects and identifies individuals, analyzes emotions, drowsiness, gender, and age in real-time videos, targeting applications in retail, security, automobiles, and data analysis.[1][2] The company serves industries like automotive, where it supports autonomous driving systems to enhance road safety by reducing accidents, and has gained traction through partnerships and acquisition by Magneti Marelli, a major tier-1 automotive supplier, fueling rapid growth.[1][2]
Its core product enables integration into embedded systems like IoT devices and vehicles, solving challenges of high computational demands in resource-constrained environments while maintaining accuracy and low cost.[1][2] Early funding from Magneti Marelli and Wind Capital supported development from a three-year research program, with recent momentum from the automotive acquisition positioning it for scaling in AI-driven perception technologies.[1][2]
Smart Me Up emerged from advanced scientific research in artificial intelligence and computer vision, founded in 2012 in Paris, France, initially operating from there before shifting headquarters to Meylan, Grenoble.[1][2][4] Key founders include Matthieu Marquenet, the CEO with passions for business, technology, photography, music, and cycling, and administrative support from Claire Donias.[1] The idea stemmed from a three-year research program yielding lightweight facial recognition tech adaptable to low-cost processors, born in the era of the Internet of Things.[1]
Pivotal moments include early investment from Magneti Marelli and Wind Capital, media coverage like a 2018 TF1 feature highlighting its appeal to global carmakers racing toward autonomous vehicles, and a recent acquisition by Magneti Marelli.[1][2] This alliance marked a shift toward automotive focus, emphasizing disruptive science to meet OEM requirements and phase out road accidents, evolving from general embedded vision to specialized autonomous driving perception.[2]
Smart Me Up rides the wave of embedded AI and autonomous vehicle proliferation, where computer vision is critical for perception in self-driving cars and IoT ecosystems.[1][2] Timing aligns with surging demand for ADAS to cut the 1.3 million annual road fatalities, amplified by automotive giants like Magneti Marelli investing in startups for OEM-compliant innovation.[2] Market forces favoring it include the shift to lightweight edge computing—essential as vehicles demand real-time processing without cloud reliance—and regulatory pushes for safer roads amid EV/autonomy booms.[2]
It influences the ecosystem by accelerating AI democratization in hardware-constrained settings, enabling tier-1 suppliers to innovate faster and bridging research-to-product gaps, much like how early CV pioneers fueled smartphone biometrics.[1][2][4] This positions France's Grenoble tech hub as a computer vision contender against U.S./Chinese dominance.
Smart Me Up's Marelli-backed momentum sets it for explosive growth in autonomous driving, expanding from facial analysis to full-spectrum perception tech amid rising ADAS mandates.[2] Trends like edge AI proliferation, 5G-enabled vehicles, and zero-fatality road goals will propel it, potentially through new OEM deals or product lines in smart cities/security.[1][2] Its influence may evolve from niche innovator to core enabler in safer mobility ecosystems, leveraging scientific edge to outpace commoditized CV rivals—watch for hiring surges and pilot deployments signaling scaled impact.[2] This embedded vision pioneer exemplifies how targeted AI research transforms global safety challenges.
Smart Me Up has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Series A in January 2016.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2016 | $3.0M Series A | 50 Partners, Daphni, Flint Capital, ISAI, Kima Ventures, NewFund, Partech Ventures, Cyril Grislain |