French defense conglomerate Safran is in talks to acquire Polish startup Satim, a company specializing in satellite imagery analysis using artificial intelligence, according to reports surfacing this week.
The potential acquisition, first reported by the French economic newspaper Les Echos, centers on Satim’s technology for automatically identifying objects from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, a capability of significant interest to military intelligence. Satim’s software can reportedly identify nearly 300 classes of objects, including tanks and howitzers, regardless of weather conditions.
Founded in 2012 by Stanisława Porzycka-Strzelczyk and Jacek Strzelczyk, both affiliated with the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Satim has positioned itself as a leader in automated target recognition. The company’s technology is considered a “valuable asset” by the defense industry, according to reporting from XYZ.pl.
Safran, a global technology leader in the aerospace, space, and defense sectors, manufactures aircraft engines – including those for the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 – as well as related components and defense systems. The company employs over 90,000 people worldwide and generated €27.3 billion in revenue in 2024. Safran maintains a presence in Poland, with facilities in Sędziszów Małopolski and Rzeszów.
Negotiations are reportedly at an early stage, and Safran declined to comment on the discussions. Jacek Strzelczyk, when asked by Polish Press Agency (PB.pl) about the reported interest from Safran, stated, “We do not comment on such rumors.”
Satim recently secured a contract to support the German army in building and operating a new generation satellite reconnaissance system, with initial satellite production planned for the third quarter of 2026. The company too has an existing partnership with Iceye, a Polish-Finnish space company that manufactures microsatellites. In late 2023, Satim signed an agreement with German defense contractor Rheinmetall to support the reconnaissance program.
