The Airship Startup NATO is Backing

The Airship Startup NATO is Backing

From EU-Startups Podcast by Thomas Ohr

June 11, 2026 · 35 min · Episode 173

About this episode

Janne Hietala, CEO of Kelluu, discusses the company's innovative hydrogen-powered airships for environmental monitoring.

In this exclusive interview, Janne Hietala, CEO of Kelluu, discusses how his company is pioneering the use of autonomous, hydrogen-powered airships to revolutionise aerial monitoring. Unlike traditional drones or satellites, Kelluu’s fleet delivers persistent, high-accuracy environmental data in extreme conditions - from Arctic temperatures to GPS-denied environments. Learn how these near-silent, emission-free platforms are reshaping intelligence, surveillance, and environmental monitoring for defence, infrastructure, and beyond. From its humble beginnings in a Finnish farm shed to its recent €15 million Series A funding, Kelluu has proven its platform in real-world conditions, including NATO exercises and Arctic operations. The company’s autonomous airships aim to bridge the gap between satellites and drones, offering unmatched persistence and precision for critical missions.

People in this episode

Host: Thomas Ohr

Guest: Janne Hietala

Topics covered

  • autonomous airships
  • environmental monitoring
  • defense technology
  • hydrogen power
  • NATO exercises

Keywords

  • Kelluu
  • autonomous airships
  • environmental data
  • NATO
  • hydrogen-powered

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kelluu, NATO

Places: Arctic, Finnish

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