Upciti Raises $20M Series A to Expand Privacy-First Smart City Platform Globally
Upciti, a Paris-based urban technology company developing an operating system for cities, has secured a $20 million Series A funding round to accelerate its international expansion and strengthen its product offering. The financing reflects growing investor interest in smart city technologies that prioritize operational efficiency while respecting data privacy, a concern that has become central for municipalities worldwide.
The Series A round was led by Notion Capital, with participation from Point Nine Capital and Chalfen Ventures. The investors bring experience in scaling European technology companies globally, particularly in the B2B software sector, and are expected to support Upciti’s next phase of growth as it expands its footprint beyond Europe.
Founded in 2017 by CEO Jean-Baptiste Poljak, Upciti develops a technology platform designed to help cities better understand and manage urban activity. Its system combines proprietary software with in-house hardware sensors to collect and analyze data related to traffic flow, pedestrian movement, parking usage, and public space utilization. Unlike many smart city solutions, Upciti emphasizes a privacy-first architecture, with data processing performed directly on the device using edge artificial intelligence, ensuring that no personally identifiable information is transmitted or stored centrally.
The company’s platform is already deployed in more than 150 cities across 17 countries. Its customer base includes municipalities of varying sizes, from large metropolitan areas to mid-sized cities seeking cost-effective ways to improve mobility planning and infrastructure management. In late 2024, Upciti entered the U.S. market, where it has since rolled out deployments in several cities, marking a significant step in its international expansion strategy.
According to the company, the new funding will be used primarily to accelerate growth in the United States, where demand for data-driven urban management tools is increasing. Upciti plans to expand its local teams, strengthen partnerships with public authorities, and adapt its offering to the specific regulatory and operational needs of U.S. cities. At the same time, the company will continue investing in research and development to enhance its analytics capabilities and broaden the range of use cases supported by its platform.
Upciti positions its technology as a response to the mounting pressures faced by city governments, including constrained budgets, aging infrastructure, and workforce challenges. By providing real-time, actionable insights, the company aims to help municipalities allocate resources more effectively, improve mobility and safety, and make informed decisions about urban planning. Its privacy-by-design approach is also intended to address public concerns about surveillance and data misuse, which have slowed the adoption of smart city technologies in some regions.
The involvement of Notion Capital as lead investor signals confidence in Upciti’s business model and long-term vision. Notion Capital has a track record of backing software-driven companies with global ambitions, while Point Nine Capital and Chalfen Ventures add continuity as existing supporters of the company. Together, the investors are backing Upciti’s ambition to become a core technology provider for cities seeking to modernize operations without compromising citizen trust.
The Series A round builds on earlier funding that helped Upciti refine its product and achieve commercial traction. With fresh capital in place, the company is positioning itself to scale its operations, deepen its technological capabilities, and compete in a rapidly evolving smart city market. As cities increasingly look for solutions that balance efficiency, transparency, and privacy, Upciti’s latest funding milestone underscores its growing role in shaping the future of urban management.
