European air defense could gain a new surveillance tool from eastern Finland, where Joensuu-based company Kelluu says its hydrogen-powered airships can help close a gap in Europe’s aerial monitoring and intelligence capabilities. The company has raised €15 million in a Series A round led by the NATO Innovation Fund, with the money set to support international expansion, fleet growth and artificial intelligence development after the technology was tested in NATO exercises in 2026.
Why Kelluu says Europe needs a new surveillance layer
Kelluu designs, manufactures and operates hydrogen-powered airships that fly below cloud level for more than 12 hours at a time, producing centimetre-level data across large areas. The company says the system can support air surveillance, real-time imaging and geolocation, creating what it describes as a persistent intelligence layer for Europe.
The argument is that Europe lacks enough systems able to remain over wide areas for long periods while still providing detailed, operationally useful data. In that sense, Kelluu presents its platform as a bridge between satellites, which offer broad coverage but lower tactical resolution, and drones, which can provide sharper imagery but usually for shorter periods and under stricter weather or regulatory limits.
According to CEO Janne Hietala, the company’s long development work in Finland has helped distinguish it from competitors. He said the airships were developed in demanding local conditions, including winter cold that can create problems for other manufacturers.
NATO exercises gave the Joensuu-built system operational visibility
Kelluu says its technology was tested this year during NATO exercises, including a multinational exercise in Germany involving 13 countries and 10,000 soldiers. The company says it provided real-time imagery and positioning data during the drills. It has also tested the system with NATO forces in Norway and in naval exercises involving the alliance. According to the NATO Innovation Fund and the company, the platform was integrated in February during Exercise Steadfast Dart 26 in Germany, where it delivered live video and geolocation data directly to allied forces.
That matters in a European security environment increasingly shaped by electronic warfare, GPS jamming and the need for persistent monitoring near sensitive borders and sea areas. Kelluu argues that its technology can still operate in contested environments and difficult weather conditions, giving it an edge over some conventional systems.
Why Joensuu matters for Finland’s defence technology ecosystem
Kelluu’s factory is located in Joensuu, about 60 kilometres from the Finnish-Russian border, an area where Arctic weather and electronic interference are familiar realities. That geography gives the company a practical testing environment that is directly relevant to the wider defense needs of Finland, NATO and the EU’s northern flank.
The new funding round is expected to support international expansion, AI development, a larger fleet and new hires in Joensuu. Hietala said the company wants to keep growing locally while strengthening the region’s industrial base.
Why the airships matter beyond defence alone
Kelluu’s airships are also designed for civilian use, including weather data production and forest monitoring. That makes the company part of a broader Nordic and European trend in which dual-use technology serves both commercial and security-related purposes.
The timing is significant. Since Finland joined NATO in 2023, the country has become a more visible hub for northern European defense innovation. Companies working on surveillance, resilience and Arctic-capable systems are attracting greater attention as European governments look for ways to reduce capability gaps and strengthen their own security infrastructure.
Kelluu’s proposition is still emerging, and it remains to be seen how widely its system will be adopted. But the company’s latest funding round and NATO testing suggest that airships built in Joensuu may become part of a wider debate about how Europe improves persistent surveillance, border monitoring and air defense resilience in an era of growing geopolitical tension.
