HyLight, the pioneer of aerial inspection using H₂ airship drones, announced a fundraising of €3.7 MM ($4 MM) from VCs and business angels including Y Combinator, Ring Capital, Kima Ventures, Collaborative Fund, and Marc Tarpenning, the co-founder of Tesla, to decarbonize aerial inspection. This deal will enable the French gem of Y Combinator to accelerate the deployment of its airship drones at an industrial scale to offer the first zero-emission solution capable of inspecting any type of infrastructure from the air.

There are 80 million kilometers of energy infrastructure on our planet. That is 200 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. These power lines and pipelines are critical infrastructure for the proper functioning of societies. Therefore, they must be inspected at regular intervals (sometimes several times per month) to ensure their good condition and prevent failures. However, today, infrastructure operators struggle to conduct accurate, large-scale inspections.

As a result, methane leaks from oil and gas infrastructure represent 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions and result in annual losses of $7 B in the European and North American markets. The costs of power outages amount to $18 B/yr in the U.S. alone. Meanwhile, the regulatory framework is tightening, requiring operators to accelerate inspections. However, effectively identifying small faults in such large areas is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

To address these challenges, industry professionals have previously had to resort to solutions that were either costly and polluting (helicopters), not precise enough (drone planes and satellites), or lacking in flight autonomy (quadricopter drones). With its H₂-powered airship, HyLight drastically reduces inspection costs and enables ultra-precise data to be collected over large areas, all without emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs). Equipped with a H₂ fuel cell, the HyLighter is a cross between drone and airship technology.

Like a drone, it is easy to control and transport. And, like an airship, it is extremely stable and energy-efficient, allowing it to fly for up to 10 hours, over a distance of 350 km. Its flight speed of 35 km/hr, HD cameras and sensors (LIDAR, thermal, infrared, etc.) ensure optimal precision for any type of mission. By making flights more efficient, the HyLighter enables the detection of previously uncollected data. Thanks to its cameras and computer systems, the HyLighter is able to transmit data securely, generate detailed reports and draw up control or forecast plans to prevent breakdowns or accidents.

HyLight's integration into Y Combinator, the world's most prestigious startup accelerator, speaks to the soundness and potential of its innovation. The company has also joined the SkyDeck accelerator at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as leading French accelerators such as Wilco, Agoranov, the Propulse program run by the French Transport Innovation Agency and and the EDHEC network via Générations, the seed fund of Ring Capital and EDHEC. HyLight also benefits from the support of high-level mentors and investors such as Tesla co-founder Marc Tarpenning and the former SpaceX launch director, Abhishek Tripathi. Furthermore, the start-up has implemented a project with Enedis, Europe's largest power line operator. HyLight is also a France 2030 winner, supported by the IDF region.

These €3.7 MM will enable HyLight to achieve three crucial milestones. Firstly, it will provide the opportunity to carry out its first large-scale operations. This operational expansion will support the expansion of its network of strategic partnerships, thereby strengthening its market position. Additionally, the funds will give the company the resources to recruit new experts in various fields: aviation regulation, embedded systems, H₂ systems, mechanical engineering, industrialization and software development. This team will be essential to support the company's growth ambitions and R&D needs, and to strengthen its presence in industry. Lastly, the funds raised will enable HyLight to develop new versions of its airship drones that meet the strictest aeronautical and industrial standards and are approved by competent international authorities. These improved versions will be designed to be even more efficient, safer and easier to produce on a large scale, to meet growing market demand and better serve its customers and partners worldwide.

According to Martin Bocken, CEO of HyLight, "This round of financing is a decisive milestone for HyLight. It allows us to realize our vision of providing large-scale infrastructure inspection in a decarbonized and highly precise manner. With the support of our investors, we are ready to redefine the standards of industrial inspection and meet growing environmental and regulatory requirements."

"We are pleased to support HyLight Aero, which, with its airship, contributes to the decarbonization of aerial inspection by improving the detection of faulty components and methane leaks that are responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions," said Gaspard Martin, Investor at the Générations fund powered by EDHEC from Ring Capital.

In the near future, the HyLighter will be useful in other sectors as well. It will be able to observe hundreds of hectares of European forests and help understand the new diseases affecting them. It will analyze changes in sea level by effectively observing the coastline. It will help understand the growing water stress affecting our farmland, so that we can target our efforts in the right places. The HyLighter will enable us to better observe and understand the world in the light of climate change.