- For the third year running, Sopra Steria is generating a bonus linked to the achievement of its climate objectives as part of the sustainability-linked loan mechanism, enabling it to finance two new impact technology start-ups.
- One of the projects uses drones and AI to better observe and preserve the oceans, while the other uses AI and neuroscience to make content accessible to people with dyslexia.
- The two start-ups were selected after a rigorous evaluation carried out with experts and banking partners, based on their impact, the maturity of their technology and the viability of their business model.
Paris, 3 March 2026 – Sopra Steria, a major European player in the tech sector, is continuing its commitment to the ecological transition and social inclusion. The Group is announcing its support for two impact start-ups. One, Cosma,
is developing advanced technologies to better understand and preserve the oceans. The other, Glaaster, uses artificial intelligence and neuroscience to make text content accessible to people with reading difficulties.
This support is part of a banking mechanism that directly links the Group's climate performance to the financing of high-impact innovation. Since 2022, Sopra Steria has indexed its €1.1 billion credit line to its decarbonisation targets validated
by the SBTi. The bonuses generated by achieving these targets are redirected towards financing projects led by start-ups selected for their positive contribution. This scheme has already raised more than 400,000 euros: 200,000 euros in 2024 to support
two projects contributing to the elimination of carbon, and 200,000 euros in 2025 to support Cosma
and Glaaster.
"At a time when climate science and social progress are openly contested, supporting technological research and development projects that actively help to protect the planet, as Cosma is doing, is even more of a responsibility for an independent European
company like Sopra Steria. For the first time, with the support of our banks, we have also decided to extend our sustainable finance approach to a project of a social nature, to help dyslexic people with their learning thanks to the technology deployed
by Glaaster. Behind these projects lies the vision of committed entrepreneurs who share the same goal: to base action on knowledge and guarantee inclusion. We are delighted to be helping to create these alliances between technological innovation,
economic performance and social impact in the service of sustainable and inclusive solutions," says Axelle Lemaire, Executive Director in charge of Sustainable Performance and Corporate Social Responsibility at Sopra Steria.
Cosma and Glaaster were selected by a committee of internal experts, and validated by Crédit Agricole CIB and Crédit Lyonnais in their capacity as "Sustainability Coordinators" for impact credit. They were chosen for the relevance of their
environmental or social impact, the maturity of their technology and the robustness of their business model.
Cosma puts technology at the service of knowledge of the seabed
Cosma observes, maps and monitors the seabed to make it accessible, understandable and usable for biodiversity, safety and science. By combining very high-resolution imagery, small autonomous underwater drones and artificial intelligence analysis, the
start-up generates accurate, neutral and reliable data on marine ecosystems and infrastructures. In this way, it provides a better understanding and monitoring of the pressures exerted on them (security, pollution), for the benefit of scientific,
industrial and public players.
In a context marked by international objectives to protect the oceans and the development of marine protected areas, Sopra Steria has chosen to support Cosma both for the environmental urgency of preserving marine ecosystems and the relevance of its technological
approach, which is fully aligned with the Group's expertise and activities, particularly those of its subsidiary CS Group. This project illustrates the potential of AI technologies and miniaturised underwater equipment to meet critical environmental
challenges, and opens up concrete prospects for technological and operational synergies.
"The seabed remains largely unknown due to the lack of suitable tools for observing, mapping and analysing it on a large scale. Sopra Steria's support will enable us to step up the pace of current studies on coastal marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean,
an area where the stakes are high and little is known about it", says Laura Huguenin, co-founder of Cosma.
Glaaster uses AI and neuroscience to make content accessible to everyone
Glaaster is developing an artificial intelligence solution that automatically adapts textual content to the needs of people with reading difficulties, particularly dyslexics, to make it easier to understand and facilitate integration into educational
and professional environments.
The decision to support Glaaster was a natural one: dyslexia affects around 10% of the population and is a real barrier to access to information, including for employees who have entered the workforce and who have to redouble their efforts to understand
written language. Glaaster illustrates precisely what Sopra Steria seeks to support: rigorous technology serving a concrete social issue. In addition to the financial support provided, experiments with this solution are being carried out with employees
to test its use in the corporate world.
"Sopra Steria's support comes at a key moment in Glaaster's development. It will enable us to accelerate the scaling up of our solution, which is now more mature and ready for wider deployment. It goes hand in hand with the acceleration of our growth
and the strengthening of our technology, in order to widen access to content adapted to the needs of people with reading difficulties," says Antoine Auzimour, co-founder of Glaaster.