Orasio, a French startup specializing in applied artificial intelligence to video, has landed a significant new client. The startup announced the delivery of its image analysis solutions to the Ministerial Agency for Artificial Intelligence of Defense (Amiad), an entity of the Ministry of Armies and Veterans Affairs. Established in May 2024 at the initiative of Sébastien Lecornu, then Minister of Defense, Amiad aims to accelerate the deployment of AI within the ministry and leverage it to win future wars.
Amiad develops its own innovations around AI to equip various branches of the French Army. It also collaborates with defense startups like Mistral AI, with whom they signed a framework agreement in January, as well as Orasio. For Orasio, which was launched last year, this partnership is a significant recognition of its expertise and a catalyst for advancement in its development. Florian Fournier, co-founder and CEO of Orasio, emphasized the importance of providing sovereign solutions mastered in Europe for strategic image analysis by artificial intelligence.
In 2025, PayFit co-founder joined forces with Orasio’s founding team, consisting of Arnaud Delaunay and Fabio Gennari, to establish the startup. To kickstart their initiative, they secured a €16 million funding round led by the French fund Frst specializing in seed funding.
Orasio’s objective is to develop AI solutions for real-time analysis and detection of critical situations in video streams. The startup assists military, local authorities, and major companies in automatically analyzing video images to alert and support them in case of unusual events.
Specifically, Orasio works with entities managing stadiums, ports, airports, train stations, police and gendarmerie services, as well as local authorities like cities and regions. In conflict areas, Orasio’s approach proves useful for identifying suspicious behavior in crowds or detecting abnormal activities around sensitive sites.
The rise of Orasio comes amidst a conducive environment reshaping the defense landscape within the tech industry. The conflict in Ukraine prompted a reevaluation of Europe’s military strategy in response to an increasing Russian threat. With heightened geopolitical tensions, the state is bolstering its sovereignty and defense strategy, opening new opportunities for French Tech in terms of funding, industrialization, and market access.
France’s tech ecosystem has birthed several promising startups in the sector, like Harmattan AI, which achieved unicorn status in January with a $200 million funding round led by Dassault Aviation. This success story should inspire Orasio to pursue a similar trajectory.
