HyLight, the French startup specialising in aerial inspection of critical infrastructure using autonomous hydrogen-powered airships, has raised €13 million from Rubio Impact Ventures, DRW, and Teampact Ventures, alongside existing investors Y Combinator and Ring Capital.
Founded in 2022 and based at Air Base 217 in Brétigny-sur-Orge, France, HyLight designs, manufactures, and operates its own hydrogen-powered airships, combining high-precision infrastructure inspections with AI-powered data analysis.
The Y Combinator-backed company has progressed from developing prototypes to carrying out commercial inspections for major French energy and transport operators.
When I last spoke to Martin Bocken, co-founder and CEO of HyLight, the company was still focused on developing its technology.
Two years later, the business has moved from R&D to commercial deployment, replacing helicopter inspections of critical infrastructure. Bocken explained that the biggest challenge wasn't simply building the aircraft, but turning a prototype into a commercially viable solution:
"When you start from scratch, you think the biggest challenge is building the product. Actually, that's only the beginning."
Industrialising the technology has required HyLight to tackle manufacturing, recruitment, costs, and operational scaling simultaneously. The company now has a team of around 14 people and has secured contracts with major French infrastructure operators, including Enedis, NaTran, Téréga, SNCF Réseau, and VINCI.
Its HyLighters have inspected thousands of kilometres across France, flown in several European countries, and begun replacing helicopter missions for major infrastructure operators. HyLight recently achieved a major operational milestone, completing 350 kilometres of inspection in a single mission.
The company also inspected almost 3,000 kilometres of infrastructure in September alone, according to Bocken. While Bocken estimates that a conventional drone might inspect around 20 kilometres per day, HyLight's aircraft can cover 350 kilometres in a single mission.
When helicopters reach their limits
Power lines, gas pipelines, and railways need more frequent inspections and greater precision because of climate change, rising regulatory requirements, and security risks. For power grids, this pressure is intensifying: electrification and the growing share of renewable energy are driving higher and more variable power flows, placing additional strain on ageing assets.
Worldwide, more than 80 million kilometres of linear infrastructure underpin our economies and account for billions of euros in investment every year.
Yet helicopters remain the dominant inspection solution despite their high costs, emissions of up to one metric tonne of CO₂e per flight hour, noise, and limited operational capacity. Existing alternatives only partially address the need: conventional drones are constrained over long distances, satellites lack sufficient precision, and ground-based sensors provide only localised coverage.
A hydrogen-powered alternative for long-range inspection
HyLight's aircraft are already being deployed to monitor network integrity, identify defects, and detect methane leaks, replacing helicopter inspections for major infrastructure operators. At 12 metres long, the HyLighter combines the endurance of an aircraft with the precision of an inspection platform.
Electrically powered by hydrogen, it flies with no direct emissions and very low noise levels for up to ten hours. It can carry up to 10 kg of sensors, including LiDAR, cameras, and methane detectors, delivering imaging at a resolution of 1 mm per pixel from an altitude of 25 metres and LiDAR density exceeding 1,000 points per square metre.
The HyLighter is authorised to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and over critical infrastructure, including in rural, suburban, and urban environments. It has flown over the Palace of Versailles and been showcased on the Champs-Élysées, at VivaTech, and at the Grand Palais, demonstrating its ability to operate in complex and densely populated environments.
Navigating regulation and public acceptance
HyLight has worked closely with French and European regulators to secure flight authorisations, allowing its aircraft to operate across large areas without pilots on the ground. Instead, flights are managed remotely from the company's control centre in Paris.
"Whenever you develop something that flies, you're going to face regulatory challenges. The key has been working hand in hand with French and European regulators."
While EASA establishes aviation rules at the European level, companies must work with national aviation authorities to obtain the necessary approvals. Unlike conventional drones, HyLight's aircraft are buoyant, operating more like hot-air balloons, which Bocken argues reduces their operational risk.
But regulatory approval is only one part of the challenge.
Public acceptance matters just as much, particularly in countries such as Germany, where surveillance and privacy concerns are deeply embedded in public discourse. Bocken believes the appearance and quiet operation of HyLight's aircraft help distinguish them from conventional drones.
"When you see a hot-air balloon above your house, you're not afraid of it. You like it. It's exactly the same with HyLight's technology."
He said that when HyLight flies over villages and rural areas, residents frequently photograph the aircraft and share videos online. The contrast with conventional drones can be striking. According to Bocken, some infrastructure operators have reported incidents in which drones were shot at by people who believed they were being used for foreign surveillance.
"Social acceptance is key when you're developing something that will dramatically change part of society."
European sovereignty and critical infrastructure
The growing importance of European technological sovereignty extends to monitoring critical infrastructure, especially as operators face heightened security concerns.
For Bocken, where data is collected, who controls it, and how it is stored are fundamental to building trusted infrastructure inspection systems.
"Sovereignty in surveillance markets is key. Europe has an important role to play, particularly when it comes to where data is collected, who collects it, and how it's stored."
HyLight has deliberately focused on European suppliers and developing its technology in France, concentrating on civilian critical infrastructure rather than defence applications.
The risks of low-altitude helicopter operations have been highlighted by two incidents in France this year. In April, a helicopter struck a power line during an agricultural spraying operation before crashing into a greenhouse. More recently, in October, a helicopter inspecting electricity infrastructure accidentally severed a high-voltage cable, forcing an emergency landing and cutting power to approximately 150 households.
Bocken contends, "You look at that and think, why are we still using helicopters for this? It's too risky. We want to change that, and we're already doing it."
The potential applications extend beyond electricity networks to telecom towers, gas pipelines, railways, and roads.
"It's about maintenance, sovereignty, and protection. If we don't have electricity, we don't have anything else."
From inspection to infrastructure intelligence
Beyond aerial inspection, HyLight is developing tools that turn the data collected in flight into actionable insights, enabling more continuous network monitoring and predictive maintenance. Already in production, its data-processing pipeline automatically identifies and geolocates vegetation-related risks around infrastructure, as well as more than 50 types of defects across power grids.
Instead of interpreting thousands of images, maintenance teams receive information about the nature and location of risks, supported by visual evidence.
This helps them detect problems earlier, respond more efficiently, reduce unnecessary field visits, and track how assets change over time.
Bocken explained:
"The more we fly, the more historical data we collect, and the more value we can provide. Ultimately, it's about moving from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance."
This is becoming increasingly important as climate change, heatwaves, wildfires, and growing electricity demand place additional pressure on Europe's infrastructure.
The company plans to develop a platform capable of centralising and analysing inspection data to anticipate risks and improve infrastructure resilience.
Frequent flights will also help HyLight build and continuously update high-definition digital twins of infrastructure and surrounding areas. Its longer-term ambition is to create a multimodal data layer covering assets ranging from roads and cities to forests and agricultural land, opening potential applications in insurance, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and public land management.
For now, HyLight operates an integrated service model rather than selling its technology or data platform separately. The company designs, manufactures, and operates its own aircraft, collects inspection data, and delivers insights directly to customers.
"Because we control the entire process, we can optimise everything and provide more value while remaining competitive," explained Bocken.
Scaling European manufacturing and operations
Building an integrated hardware and software business in Europe has presented challenges, but Bocken sees the continent's engineering talent and industrial expertise as significant advantages. HyLight has attracted employees from across Europe and works with suppliers and partners in countries including Italy, the UK, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
"I think the concentration of knowledge and deep technology expertise in Europe is huge. We're working in France, but we're a European company."
Bocken said growing customer demand made raising capital necessary to accelerate deployment.
"Demand is incredibly high, and our clients have been pushing us to inspect more and more kilometres. We needed to scale, and we needed to move quickly."
Helmer Schukken, managing partner at Rubio Impact Ventures, believes HyLight has the potential to transform critical infrastructure inspection:
"HyLight offers a clean and scalable alternative that does the same work reliably, even over densely populated areas, and has the potential to deliver unrivalled cost savings."
HyLight is scaling production after opening a new manufacturing facility, with plans to bring more strategic component manufacturing in-house and expand its fleet from four to 15 aircraft within a year.
The funding will also support the recruitment of 50 employees across engineering, AI, data, operations, regulatory affairs, and business development, while strengthening its automated data analysis capabilities. The company plans to expand commercially across Europe next year, with Germany and the Netherlands as priority markets and Belgium also under consideration.