HyLight YC Application
HyLight went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2023 batch as a Industrials company. Below: what the company does, who founded it, and its application to YC, reconstructed question by question in the real YC form.
- YC batch
- Summer 2023
- Industry
- IndustrialsClimate
- Team size
- 22
- Status
- Active
- Launched
- 2023
Founders
Thomas LaporteFounder
Martin BockenFounder
Josef RokusekFounder
What HyLight does
HyLight builds and operates autonomous airships for long range monitoring. We focus on detecting methane leaks on pipelines and defects on power lines. Our innovation, the HyLighter, is a crossover between drone and airship technology. Like a drone, it is easily controllable and transportable. And, like an airship, it is extremely energy-efficient, enabling it to fly for up to 10 hours at slow speed (22mph) for optimal data collection which represents a range of 220miles. Today, energy infrastructure operators struggle with conducting inspections that are simultaneously: massive and precise. HyLight offers a solution to precisely detect issues on the infrastructure at an industrial scale, and all of this without emitting GHGs. We are 3 co-founders experienced in hardware and energy companies with Masters in Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Business from the best Engineering and Business School in France. We have developed 5 different flying aircrafts and signed 5 pilots programs with major energy infrastructure operators. We also have LOIs worth over $3.5M.
HyLight's YC application, reconstructed
Y Combinator application
HyLight, Summer 2023 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.
- Founders2
- Company7
- Progress7
- Idea4
- Equity3
- Curious2
- Batch Preference1
Company
HyLight
Small unmanned hydrogen airships for monitoring
We build the HyLighter - a hybrid drone-airship that flies quietly and efficiently for up to 10 hours at slow speed, covering 220 miles. It inspects energy infrastructure like pipelines and power lines, detecting methane leaks and defects without greenhouse gas emissions. Our airships combine the control and transportability of drones with the energy efficiency and endurance of airships to handle large-scale, precise inspections.
We live and work in Paris, Île-de-France, France, and would remain based here after YC.
Paris is where our founding team and current operations are located. Our business is rooted in European energy infrastructure and climate tech, and being close to our partners and pilots in this region is key for development and scaling.
21 more answers in the full application
Founders, Progress, Idea, Equity, Curious, Batch Preference are in the full version. Create a free account to open it in YC Insights, next to every other YC batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the real HyLight YC application?
No. Y Combinator keeps submitted applications private. This is a reconstruction: the real YC form questions, answered from HyLight's public data (launch notes, founder backgrounds, product description). It shows how a company like HyLight would present itself to YC, not the text they submitted.
What YC batch was HyLight in?
HyLight was part of the Y Combinator Summer 2023 batch.
Who founded HyLight?
HyLight was founded by Thomas Laporte, Martin Bocken, Josef Rokusek.
What does HyLight do?
Small unmanned hydrogen airships for long range monitoring
How do I read the full reconstructed application?
Create a free Round Funded account. The full 26-answer version of HyLight's application, and every other YC batch, is in YC Insights.
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