Where is Kelluu headquartered?

Kelluu is headquartered in Joensuu, Finland. The company has a team of 11-50 people.

When was Kelluu founded?

Kelluu was founded in 2018. It is based in Joensuu, Finland.

Who is the CEO of Kelluu?

Janne Hietala is the CEO of Kelluu. The company was founded in 2018.

Where is Kelluu located?

Kelluu is headquartered in Joensuu, Finland.

What funding stage is Kelluu at?

Kelluu is currently at the Growth Stage stage.

How many employees does Kelluu have?

Kelluu has approximately 11-50 employees.

Kelluu

Category: Robotics / Embodied AI

Finnish deep tech company operating the world's largest autonomous, hydrogen-powered airship fleet for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) Kelluu was founded in 2018. The company is led by Janne Hietala. Based in Joensuu, Finland. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $17.6M. Latest round: Series A. Key investors include NATO Innovation Fund, Keen Venture Partners, Gungnir Capital, Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment), Redstone.VC, Business Finland, Fiil Good, Joen Infra Oy.

Founded: 2018
Headquarters: Joensuu, Finland
Team size: 11-50
Total funding: $17.6M

Value proposition

Autonomous hydrogen-powered airships that fill the critical gap between satellites and drones — providing 12+ hours of persistent aerial monitoring with drone-level resolution, operating in extreme Arctic conditions (-33°C) and GPS-denied environments, at lower cost than traditional systems

Products and solutions

Autonomous hydrogen-powered airships (Airship-as-a-Service), Persistent ISR for defense, Critical infrastructure monitoring, Environmental intelligence (forestry, wildfire detection, meteorology), Digital twin creation, Kelluu AI Labs (geospatial AI / world foundation models)

Unique value

World's only autonomous airship fleet proven in NATO operational environments (Arctic -33°C, sustained GNSS jamming) with 12-hour endurance, 30,000 sq km coverage from a single base, and patented hydrogen-safe structure — bridging the ISR gap between satellites and drones

Target customer

NATO and allied defense forces; border security agencies; critical infrastructure operators (power grids, pipelines); environmental monitoring agencies; forestry and smart-city operators

Industries served

Defense & Security, Critical Infrastructure, Environmental Monitoring, Forestry, Smart Cities, Meteorology

Technology advantage

Patented hydrogen-safe airship structure; 12+ hour autonomous flight endurance; Operates in -33°C and sustained GNSS jamming; 1cm/pixel resolution; Zero-emission hydrogen propulsion; STANAG-compliant data platform integrating with NATO C2 systems; Proven in NATO exercises (Steadfast Dart 26, REPMUS 25); World's northernmost airship factory

How they differentiate

Unlike satellite providers (limited revisit/resolution, cloud cover issues) and drones (limited endurance, fail in extreme cold, require on-site pilot), Kelluu's hydrogen airships deliver 12+ hours of persistent coverage in extreme Arctic conditions with drone-level detail. Validated in live NATO exercises and real operational environments on the Finland-Russia border — not just theoretical. Patented hydrogen-safe design eliminates explosion risk.

Main competitors

LTA Research (Sergey Brin-backed airship developer), HyLight (French hydrogen airship startup), Traditional drone incumbents (DJI, Skydio), High-altitude platform station (HAPS) operators

Key partnerships

NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) programme member since 2024, NATO Innovation Fund, NATO Allied Command Transformation, NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM), Maven Smart System integration, European Regional Development Fund / ELY Centre, University of Eastern Finland (BiodiLogDef research)

Notable customers

NATO allied forces (exercises Steadfast Dart 26, REPMUS 25, NATO Innovation Range), Finnish defence and border security agencies, Critical infrastructure operators (power grid monitoring), Forestry monitoring operators (Koli National Park bark beetle project)

Major milestones

2018: Company founded in Joensuu, Finland, 2019: €1M initial funding secured, 2020: First airship development team hired, factory operations begin, 2021: Seed round led by Redstone.VC, 2022: 12-hour autonomous flights achieved, Janne Hietala appointed CEO, €2M growth funding, 2024: Selected for NATO DIANA programme (top 15 from 2,600+ applicants), 2025: NATO REPMUS exercise participation, 2026: €15M Series A led by NATO Innovation Fund, Exercise Steadfast Dart 26 integration with Maven Smart System, Kelluu AI Labs launched

Growth metrics

50,000+ km flown; 12-hour missions proven in Arctic conditions; 5 airships cover 30,000 sq km from single base; NATO DIANA programme graduate; World's largest autonomous airship fleet

Market positioning

Positioned as the persistent aerial intelligence layer between satellites and drones for NATO's Eastern Flank, Arctic, and maritime surveillance. Dual-use platform serving both defense and civilian markets. Backed by NATO Innovation Fund's first Finnish investment.

Geographic focus

Europe (NATO Eastern Flank, Arctic/High North, maritime approaches); expanding internationally

Patents and IP

Patented hydrogen-safe airship structure (prevents explosion risk)

About Janne Hietala

Ex-Valamis Group (led international growth); 18+ years as entrepreneur building international technology companies; London Business School (Advanced Corporate Finance)

Official website: https://kelluu.com/