Yessica Klein
8 min read
09 November 2025
With a background in business development and engineering, Florian Corgnou worked for Tesla before cofounding a fintech startup, where he discovered his passion for building technology-driven companies from the ground up. Later, he joined a space entrepreneurship program in partnership with Airbus, which reignited his early fascination with aeronautics and aerospace. The experience inspired him to create a company that could embody Europe’s next wave of deeptech innovation. Fascinated by the potential of AI, he founded Neurobus in 2023, combining technology, strategic purpose, research and passion to design systems that think and operate more autonomously, even in the most demanding environments.
What brought you to found the company?
I’ve always been fascinated by machines, especially those that move through the sky. My curiosity drives me to constantly explore new ideas, and I tend to get bored easily if I’m not learning or creating something new. Founding Neurobus allowed me to combine three areas that have always inspired me: entrepreneurship, aeronautics and artificial intelligence. It was also a way to make a meaningful impact, to contribute to Europe’s technological advancement and strategic independence. I wanted to build systems that merge the efficiency of nature with advanced engineering, enabling intelligent and autonomous technologies that serve a greater purpose.
What problem did you see?
To enhance France and Europe technological sovereignty in defense and aerospace, satellites must process data onboard, but traditional AI architectures are too power-consuming for orbital environments. In space, missions are limited by energy, bandwidth and latency. Drone detection and aerial threats demand real-time interception, but these solutions heavily rely on cloud or power-hungry GPUs. So, we saw the opportunity to address these issues with neuromorphic technology, an event-driven intelligence that enables onboard, low-power autonomy.
What’s your mission?
Our mission is to embed intelligence at the edge, enabling autonomous systems to perceive, decide and act in real-time with minimal power consumption in order to protect European skies and satellites, reduce AI’s energy footprint, and reinforce Europe’s autonomy in critical sectors.
What were the founding steps?
We began by developing proof-of-concept prototypes that combine event-based cameras with neuromorphic processors for use in space and automotive applications.
How does your business reflect your personality?
I value resilience, curiosity and integrity, which are essential traits for any deeptech journey. Neurobus reflects my conviction that innovation must serve strategic independence. These experiments paved the way for industrial partnerships.
“Be patient and persistent; deeptech is a long journey that shapes the future.”
What were some of the biggest challenges?
One of the biggest challenges was that operating in radiation-heavy space and harsh defense environments forced us to rethink every layer, from electronics to algorithms. Achieving real-time performance within strict power budgets required full hardware-software codesign. Also, convincing stakeholders that neuromorphic AI is mission-ready, not science fiction. It took time, persistence and strong demonstration, but each successful test built confidence and opened
new opportunities.
What help made the progress possible?
The HEC entrepreneurship institute, Agoranov, SpaceFounders and ESA BIC all provided crucial guidance, networks and credibility. Collaborations with research labs and industrial partners accelerated our research and development phase and enabled validation with real users.
What lessons have you learned so far?
One of the first lessons we learned is to solve real problems first, as technology matters when it’s mission critical. It is equally important to build partnerships and to be patient but persistent. Conviction pays off.
What has been the most rewarding part of the journey so far?
The first time our system detected and tracked drones under extreme lighting faster and more efficiently than conventional AI was a breakthrough. That success helped us win a European defense competition and later graduate from CDL’s Next Gen Computing program, which further sharpened our strategy with the guidance of world-class mentors.
What is the relationship between your company and the city?
France is one of the best places in Europe to build aerospace and defense deeptech solutions. We chose Paris for visibility, capital access, and proximity to Agoranov and Station F. The city offers global exposure to investors and accelerators. We also opened a subsidiary in Europe’s aerospace capital, Toulouse, to be close to Airbus, CNES, ESA and world-class technical talent.
What's next?
For the short-term, we are working on deploying drone interception and detect-and-avoid systems in defense operations, while our mid-term goal is to raise funds to expand the team to 20 engineers by 2026. Our long-term vision is to extend our technology to space, robotics and automotive, bringing aerospace-grade autonomy to multiple domains.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?
Focus on problems that matter, especially those tied to sovereignty and long-term impact.
Surround yourself with mentors and partners who challenge you and share your mission.
What do you think of the startup landscape in Europe?
Europe is living a deeptech renaissance. We have exceptional talent and research that needs to be translated into industrial sovereignty. The momentum is real and I’m proud to contribute to that transformation with Neurobus.
“We’re not just building technology, we’re building a European capability that ensures autonomy, security and sustainability in aerospace and defense.”