TESSARES

Their core work

TESSARES is a Belgian networking technology SME specializing in Multipath TCP (MPTCP) — a protocol that allows a device to simultaneously use multiple internet connections (4G, 5G, WiFi, fixed broadband) as a single bonded channel. Their core product is software that enables hybrid access networking, meaning users in areas with poor connectivity can combine whatever links are available to get reliable internet. They built and commercialized a mobile application for this use case, progressing from a feasibility study under the EU SME Instrument Phase 1 to a full-scale innovation project under Phase 2. Their technology directly targets the digital divide by making connectivity viable in underserved areas where no single network type is sufficient.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

TESSARES has a short but focused H2020 trajectory: their 2018 SME-1 project was a feasibility study with no recorded technical keywords, consistent with a market validation exercise rather than deep R&D. By 2020, their SME-2 project reveals a fully developed technical vocabulary — MPTCP, hybrid access, access bonding, 4G/5G/WiFi — indicating they moved from validating the business case to building and commercializing the product. The trend is a deepening of one coherent technology stack rather than a pivot, suggesting a company that knew its direction early and executed against it.

TESSARES is moving from proof-of-concept to product, with a clear commercial trajectory in multi-path mobile connectivity — a field that gains relevance as 5G and WiFi 6 deployments create new bonding opportunities.

How they like to work

TESSARES used the EU SME Instrument exclusively, which is a solo-applicant funding mechanism — no consortium partners are required or recorded. Both projects were self-coordinated, meaning they directed the research and commercialization agenda entirely themselves. This profile suggests a company that prefers autonomy and speed over collaborative research structures; potential partners should expect to engage them as a technology provider or licensee rather than as a co-investigator in large academic consortia.

TESSARES has zero recorded consortium partners in their H2020 participation, which is expected given their exclusive use of the SME Instrument solo track. Their real-world technical and commercial partnerships are not visible through EU project data and would need to be assessed through other channels.

What sets them apart

TESSARES occupies a narrow but defensible niche: they are one of very few SMEs that have commercialized MPTCP-based hybrid access at the mobile application layer. Most MPTCP work happens inside telecom operators or academic labs; TESSARES brings it to end-user software, which is a distinct position. For consortia working on rural connectivity, digital inclusion, or next-generation mobile network architecture, they offer a proven, already-funded product rather than a research prototype.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MPA (Phase 2)
  The €1.22M SME Instrument Phase 2 grant is the largest single award and represents a full commercial development project for MPTCP-based hybrid internet access, running 2020–2023.
• MPA (Phase 1)
  The €50K feasibility study in 2018 demonstrates a classic SME Instrument Phase 1→2 progression, validating TESSARES's ability to convert a technology concept into a fundable commercial roadmap.