Startup secures funding for airship drones

Hylight, a French startup established in 2022, has raised 13 million euros in a funding round to develop and scale its autonomous airship drones. These drones are intended as an environmentally friendly alternative to helicopters for inspecting critical infrastructure such as power lines and pipelines.

Drones have already been deployed

The Hylighter drones have completed over 750 flight hours and have inspected thousands of kilometers of power lines, railway tracks, and gas pipelines across France and Europe. Some of its first clients include major infrastructure companies such as Enedis and SNCF Réseau.

Investment funds support expansion

The funding round was led by three investment funds: Rubio Impact from the Netherlands, Teampact from France, and DRW from the United States. Additional support came from earlier backers Y Combinator and Ring Capital. The CEO, Martin Bocken, stated the funds will be used to advance software and AI development and scale production.

Drones use hydrogen for flight

The Hylighter is 12 meters long and 2 meters wide, with lift provided by a helium-filled envelope and propulsion from electric motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells. It can fly for up to ten hours, covering 350 kilometers, and can carry up to 10 kilograms of sensors such as cameras and methane detectors.

Infrastructure monitoring needs grow

France has over 1 million kilometers of power lines, 300,000 kilometers of pipelines, and 50,000 kilometers of railway tracks. The demand for monitoring these infrastructures is increasing due to climate change, stricter regulations, and security concerns. Helicopters have traditionally been used, but they are costly, polluting, and noisy.

Drones operate autonomously

The Hylighter can be launched by a single person and transported in a semi-truck. It collects data in real time and sends it securely to Hylight's control center. If an emergency is detected, clients are immediately alerted. The company plans to expand its operations and hire more experts in AI and data management.