Revolution Énergétique · Jul 2026
Explains how HyLight positions the airship as a lower-emission, quieter alternative to helicopter inspections and notes partnerships with Enedis, SNCF, NaTran, and Suez.
Small unmanned hydrogen airships for long range monitoring
Company research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Updated Jul 29, 2026
Overview
French deeptech startup building the HyLighter: a hydrogen-powered autonomous airship drone and aerial-data service for zero-emission inspection of critical infrastructure (power lines, pipelines, railways, and related assets). Public sources disagree slightly on headquarters and total funding, but all place the company around Paris and at roughly the $4.6M-$5.1M raised range to date.
Primary product
HyLighter autonomous hydrogen-powered airship drone
Founded
2022
Headquarters
Base Aérienne 217, Brétigny-sur-Orge, near Paris, France (public sources also list Le Plessis-Pâté/Le Plessis-Robinson)
Team size
33
Industry
Data Infrastructure and Analytics
Sub-industry
Aerial infrastructure inspection / autonomous airships
Offices
Base Aérienne 217, Brétigny-sur-Orge, near Paris, France
Le Plessis-Pâté, Île-de-France, France
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Business model
B2B inspection-as-a-service
Project-based aerial data collection
Data/report sales
Funding
Stage
Seed
Total raised
$5.1M
Latest round
Seed VC · Apr 2024
Latest amount
$3.9M
Apr 2024
Jan 2023 · Y Combinator / Berkeley SkyDeck
Jan 2023
Oct 2022
People & investors
Leadership
Co-founder & CEO
Co-founder & CTO
Co-founder & CBO
Head of Safety
Head of Regulation
Head of Science
Head of Mechanical Engineering
Head of Operations
Head of Data
Chief of Staff
Work & culture
Mission-driven, hands-on, fast-growing, and centered on autonomy, impact, authenticity, and field operations from its airbase site near Paris.
Compensation
Public YC job postings show technical roles with salary bands around €45k-€80k; broader compensation policy is not publicly disclosed.
Benefits
BSPCE stock options
100% public transport coverage
free daily lunches
team events and trips
Product & market
Pricing
B2B contract/pilot-based inspection services and report/data delivery; no public list pricing found.
Differentiators
- —10-hour autonomous flight endurance
- —zero direct emissions
- —millimeter-level precision
- —multi-sensor payloads for LiDAR/thermal/infrared/gas detection
- —no airport or heavy ground infrastructure required
- —lower-noise low-altitude operation
- —designed to replace helicopters for long-range infrastructure inspection
Technology
hydrogen fuel cell airship
autonomous flight control
BVLOS operations
RF/LTE/satellite communications
LiDAR
thermal imaging
infrared imaging
gas-leak detection sensors
AI anomaly detection
PostgreSQL
Docker
React
Python
Terraform
AWS Lambda
Flask
Kubernetes
Auth0
GitHub Actions
QGIS
Customers
Enedis
SNCF Réseau / SNCF
NaTran
Teréga
Suez
Competitors
Kelluu
Cyberhawk
Team UAV
Mile High Drones
Aerovehicles
Scale & contact
Estimated revenue
≈$2M annual revenue estimate
Estimated monthly visits
1K
Traffic estimate as of Jun 2026
Latest news
Futura Sciences · Jun 2026
Covers HyLight’s VivaTech 2026 flight over Paris, the HyLighter’s 10-hour autonomy, low noise, zero direct emissions, and its role in inspecting power lines, pipelines, and rail infrastructure.
TF1 Info · Jun 2025
National TV coverage of HyLight’s airship over train lines and its use for critical infrastructure inspection.
Les Echos · May 2025
Profiles HyLight’s hydrogen airship as a tool for monitoring energy infrastructure and decarbonizing aerial inspection.
France Bleu · May 2025
Covers an Enedis Picardie pilot using a dirigible to inspect electrical lines, illustrating a concrete customer use case.
Jobs and careers at HyLight
0 jobs at HyLight
No open positions
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