Prophesee: Strategic-Technological Analysis (European Defense & Autonomy)
In the heart of Paris, a young company is quietly redefining how machines see the world. Prophesee – formerly known as Chronocam – is a French deep-tech venture pioneering neuromorphic vision sensors that mimic the human eye. Instead of capturing full video frames, Prophesee’s patented event-based cameras detect only changes in a scene, enabling ultra-fast, efficient vision that conventional sensors can’t match. This unique approach was born from European academic research on the retina, and today Prophesee stands at the forefront with over 95 international patents protecting its Metavision® technology. Backed by major European and global investors – from the European Investment Bank to Intel and Bosch – the company has raised more than $120 million. Prophesee’s innovations aren’t just for smartphones and factories; they carry profound implications for defense. By “seeing the unseen” in real time, Prophesee promises to bolster Europe’s strategic autonomy: detecting drones that slip past normal cameras, guiding navigation when GPS is jammed, and reducing reliance on non-European vision sensors. This report explores how Prophesee’s bio-inspired vision technology is becoming a strategic asset for Europe’s security and technological sovereignty.