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How Stellar Broke Deep Tech’s Revenue Paradox: From Zero to Market in Half the Time

In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Damien Garot, CEO of Stellar, revealed a counterintuitive approach to bringing deep tech to market: don’t wait for the industry to catch up.

When most founders tackle deep tech in automotive, they face a brutal choice: wait years for manufacturer adoption or pivot to an easier market. Stellar, with $9.3M in funding, chose neither. Instead, they found a way to generate revenue today while building toward their autonomous vehicle vision.

The Digital Divide Behind the Wheel

The problem starts with something deceptively simple. “Everybody can relate to that simple problem,” Damien explains. “You have an important call while driving your car or being in the back of a Uber, and then you pick up the phone. But guess what? The first line that we will say on the phone will say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m on the move right now. The call may drop.'”

This frustration masks a deeper challenge. For Damien, it’s personal: “Each time I call my parents today, if I hear the engine humming in the background, I just hang up saying, okay, I’ll call you right back when you arrive somewhere because I know that the call will drop in a matter of seconds.”

Mapping the Connectivity Desert

What makes this problem particularly fascinating is its prevalence in supposedly connected areas. “We are mapping today US cities and US roads,” Damien shares. “We can really clearly see that there are whole, you know, big red areas where you cannot connect with one single network.”

The Traditional Path vs. Stellar’s Approach

Most deep tech companies would spend years trying to integrate directly with manufacturers. Instead, Stellar developed a dual-track strategy:

Track 1: Immediate Revenue “We decided to take our software and put it into Global,” Damien explains, describing their plug-and-play solution that brings perfect connectivity to existing vehicles. This device combines cellular, WiFi, and satellite connections to ensure consistent connectivity.

Track 2: Manufacturer Integration The company continues pursuing long-term automotive partnerships, but with a crucial advantage: proven market validation. As Damien notes, “Hundreds of thousands of vehicles have been already equipped with our technology… if there is a market for that, it’s probably because there is a need for this perfect connectivity.”

Real-World Validation Over PowerPoint

This approach led to a defining moment with a major automotive manufacturer. “They wanted to put us on the spot and Test the technology,” Damien recounts. “So they said, we got to precisely go here and here. And this is the road I want to take with you for 20 minutes. And we’re going to have a WhatsApp call.” The result? “It was perfect the whole way.”

The European Fundraising Playbook

Stellar’s success in raising $9.3M offers lessons for deep tech founders, particularly in European markets. “For some of the investors, it took us a year and a half for them to be ready to invest,” Damien reveals. The key? “Don’t be afraid to spend time, invest time into relationship with investors, even if nothing is happening overnight.”

Industry recognition played a crucial role. Six weeks after winning the European Startup Prize for Mobility at the European Parliament, Stellar signed with their lead investor.

The Future of Connected Mobility

Looking ahead, Stellar’s vision extends beyond fixing dropped calls. “The next steps is really this autonomy,” Damien explains. Their technology will enable autonomous vehicles to operate reliably beyond city centers, democratizing access to this revolutionary technology.

Stellar’s story proves that deep tech companies don’t have to choose between immediate revenue and long-term vision. By finding creative ways to enter the market today, they’re accelerating their path to tomorrow’s autonomous future.