HyLight raises €13 million for its autonomous airships inspecting Europe’s critical infrastructure

French startup HyLight has secured €13 million in funding from Rubio Impact Ventures, DRW, Teampact Ventures, Y Combinator, and Ring Capital to expand its autonomous hydrogen-powered airship fleet for inspecting critical European infrastructure. Founded in 2022, HyLight has already designed, built, industrialized, and operated its own aircraft in France, while also developing software and AI to turn data into actionable insights for infrastructure operators.

The new funding will allow HyLight to scale its fleet, strengthen data analysis capabilities, and deploy a new data infrastructure across Europe. Martin Bocken, co-founder and CEO, stated that the funding will transition the company from four aircraft to a fleet. Power lines, gas pipelines, and railways face increasing inspection needs due to climate change, regulations, and safety risks, with over 80 million kilometers of infrastructure requiring billions in investment annually.

However, helicopters remain the dominant inspection solution, despite high costs, emissions, and limited availability. HyLight's 12-meter-long aircraft, powered by hydrogen and capable of flying for up to ten hours, carries out missions for major infrastructure operators such as Enedis, NaTran, Téréga, VINCI, and SNCF Réseau. The aircraft can carry up to 10 kg of sensors, including LiDAR, cameras, and methane detectors, and flies BVLOS over critical infrastructure, including over the Palace of Versailles and at VivaTech.

HyLight's software turns flight data into decision-making tools that identify and geolocate more than 50 types of defects and vegetation risks, replacing thousands of raw images with actionable information for maintenance teams. With the new funding, HyLight plans to recruit 50 employees across various departments and expand its operations across Europe, targeting Germany and the Netherlands as priority markets.