Next generation drone technology received support from InnoEnergy

InnoEnergy, a company investing in solutions in the area of energy, cleantech, mobility and broadly understood smart technologies, supported an Estonian startup for the third time. Hepta Airborne, operating at Tehnopol Startup Incubator and who’s technology outperforms other drone solutions in the market, was supported this time.

The financial support with great contacts and network from InnoEnergy, gives a chance to enter and grow in European markets. The support will grow the efficiency of utility inspection more than 10 times, in target countries. Previously, Skeleton Technologies and Thinnect, has received the support from InnoEnergy in Estonia.

According to CEO of Hepta Airborne, Henri Klemmer, support from InnoEnergy creates an oppurtunity to bring their new technological solutions to the electricity grids in Europe and World. „The greatest benefit next to 200 000 EUR financial support, is the contacts and network behind InnoEnergy, which gives us all the necessary tools to enter into EU market. In Estonia, we have already 90% of the grid inspections in our contract portfolio. From executed projects we can say that the existing ways to inspect power lines, can be replaced with multiple times more effective solutions in terms of costs, human resource and time. Inspecting power lines with our drone solutuions is up to 11 time faster comparing to regular drone technologies.“

Heleri Holm, Project Manager at InnoEnergy Estonian HUB at Tehnopol: “Our goal is to increase the number of Estonian sustainable energy companies in the InnoEnergy network and we are happy that negotiations between Hepta Airborne and InnoEnergy were so successful. Hepta Airborne defineately has the potential to make it to European markets and the support from InnoEnergy makes it all happen. We know, there’s more clean energy startups with the same potential out there and we encourage them to contact us at InnoEnergy HUB in Estonia.”

The Investment Manager Lukasz Skarka, from InnoEnergy comments the support, relying on comprehensive studies. „Hepta has created an innovative and sustainable technology for infrastructure monitoring, which is carried out with drones. According to our thorough market and client studies, we are determined, that there is a strong necessity for Hepta Airborne’s technological and business solutions in Europe and other parts of the world.“

Hepta Airborne has developed the next generation power line inspection technology. The technology automates UAV, sensors and autonomous post-flight data analysis. The whole system inspects hundreds of kilometres autonomously and analyses the collected data. Utilities and Network operators receive a detailed overview of their assets, automated defect reports and detailed vegetation analysis.

InnoEnergy is a company investing in solutions in the area of energy, cleantech, mobility and broadly understood smart technologies. Through knowledge, financing and network of contacts, they support the commercialization of products and introduction to international markets.

InnoEnergy is present in forty countries, where they cooperate with more than three hundred partners – the largest industrial concerns, leading research and academic centers and innovative entrepreneurs, investing about € 100 million annually in solutions that increase the competitiveness of our economy thanks to cleaner, better and more efficient technologies.

InnoEnergy is the innovation engine for sustainable energy across Europe and is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol is the partner of InnoEnergy since 2015. The common goals are supporting development, sustainability and seed funding of innovative companies in Estonian energy sector.

Read about InnoEnergy: http://www.innoenergy.com/about-innoenergy/