HyLight is a French start-up founded in 2022. Its ambition is to make societies resilient to the effects of climate change by working on the crucial stage of infrastructure observation and inspection. The company has developed the HyLighter, a hydrogen airship drone capable of collecting various data over hundreds of kilometres without emitting greenhouse gases. It is an alternative to drones, helicopters and satellites that meets the new needs of industry. In less than two years, the company has developed 7 iterations of its airship drone, flown more than 150 hours and secured its first inspection contracts with Europe's biggest energy infrastructure operators. It is also one of the few hardware start-ups to have joined Y Combinator, the world's best accelerator programme. HyLight is based at Brétigny-sur-Orge, on Base Aérienne 217 in the Paris region, France.
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Martin Bocken
CEO and Co-Founder
HOW IT WORK
The Science
HyLight's hydrogen-powered airships offer an all encompassing solution to modern infrastructure inspection. Their proprietary technology provides 10x longer flight times compared to traditional drones and outperforms helicopters, satellites, and VTOLs with cheaper, higher precision, longer range, and lower emissions.
Their value lies in the high-quality data they collect. Thanks to their design, HyLight can carry heavier, advanced sensors that provide reliable, multi-spectrum data—including visual and infrared imagery, LiDAR point clouds, and methane leak detection. This data is securely stored onboard and can be transferred live or post-flight via their cloud for client access. Safety is a top priority: HyLight adheres to strict European drone regulations and operates in both Open and Specific categories. The HyLighter airship is designed for maximum visibility and low descent rates, even in emergencies, ensuring safe operations in both populated and remote areas.
EARTH FIRST VISION
The Future
Hylight was born from an ambitious idea during an accelerator programme at UC Berkeley: to transform infrastructure inspections using hydrogen-powered unmanned airships. As the global power grid inspection market is set to reach $7.4B by 2026 with an 11.6% CAGR, HyLight is positioning itself at the forefront of this shift. The rising demand is driven by aging infrastructure, renewable energy integration, and new tech adoption. With 16.8 million km of power lines and 7.8 million km of pipelines across the EU and US alone, there's an urgent need for cost-efficient, precise, and sustainable inspection methods.
Backed by UC Berkeley SkyDeck, Y Combinator, Collaborative Fund, Kima Ventures, Hyper Ventures, and industry pioneers like Marc Tarpening (Tesla co-founder), HyLight is here to revolutionise infrastructure monitoring—cleaner, cheaper, and smarter.
people
Their DNA
HyLight is led by CEO & Co-founder Martin Bocken, an expert in aviation, hydrogen technology, and computer science. A UC Berkeley and Y Combinator alumnus, Martin's vision is to replace fossil-fuel-based aerial inspections with sustainable hydrogen-powered solutions. CTO & Co-founder Josef Rokusek, a mechanical engineer with renewable energy expertise, oversees hardware and software development to ensure operational excellence. CBO Thomas Laporte, with a background in business law and strategic partnerships, drives market expansion and client engagement.