Kelluu
Finnish maker of autonomous, hydrogen-powered airships providing persistent aerial intelligence for defense and civilian monitoring.
Kelluu builds car-sized autonomous airships that can persistently monitor an area for up to 12 hours per flight, bridging the gap between drones and satellites. Civilian uses include forestry monitoring, meteorology, and smart-city sensing; defense/ISR use is enabled through NATO's DIANA accelerator program. Headquartered in Joensuu, Finland.
Overview
- Headquarters
- Joensuu, Finland
- Founded
- 2018
- Employees
- Undisclosed
- Total funding
- €19M (€15M Series A, April 2026, plus earlier rounds); listicle's $3M figure not corroborated
- Stage
- Series A
- Status
- active
- Domains
- Autonomous airships, Persistent ISR, Dual-use aerial monitoring
- Website
- kelluu.com
Founders4
- FounderJanne HietalaCo-founder of Kelluu (2018) and its CEO since 2022, leading the company's autonomous hydrogen-powered airship platform for persistent aerial ISR.
- FounderJiri JormakkaCo-founder and COO of Kelluu since the company's founding in October 2018.
- FounderJouni LintuCo-founder of Kelluu (2018); an early press release named him CEO before Janne Hietala took that title in 2022, and he now focuses on R&D/science leadership.
- FounderNiko KuikkaHead of Engineering at Kelluu, named alongside CEO Janne Hietala in the company's July 2026 Canada-expansion announcement.
Investors4
- FundNATO Innovation Fund€1 billion multi-sovereign venture fund backed by NATO member states, investing in deep tech and dual-use technology across the Alliance.
- FundKeen Venture PartnersAmsterdam/London-based venture capital firm; participated in Kelluu's €15M Series A.
- FundGungnir CapitalSwedish defense-focused venture capital firm; participated in Kelluu's €15M Series A.
- FundTesiFinnish state investment company; participated in Kelluu's €15M Series A.
Cap table0
Approximate ownership by holder. Indexed holders link to their records.
Raised per round
Percentages marked ~ are not disclosed. Some are a generic VC-pattern model (founders/team weighted heaviest, option pool lightest, other holders evenly) sized to whatever's left undisclosed — a standard industry shape, not this company's actual cap table.
| Holder | Instrument | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
TesiNew | Preferred (Series A) | ~25.0% |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~25.0% | |
| Preferred (Series A) | ~25.0% | |
| Preferred (Series A, Lead) | ~25.0% |
Contracts0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- What does Kelluu do?
- Kelluu builds car-sized autonomous airships that can persistently monitor an area for up to 12 hours per flight, bridging the gap between drones and satellites. Civilian uses include forestry monitoring, meteorology, and smart-city sensing; defense/ISR use is enabled through NATO's DIANA accelerator program. Headquartered in Joensuu, Finland.
- Where is Kelluu headquartered?
- Kelluu is headquartered in Joensuu, Finland and was founded in 2018.
- How much funding has Kelluu raised?
- Kelluu has raised €19M (€15M Series A, April 2026, plus earlier rounds); listicle's $3M figure not corroborated in disclosed funding.
- What does Kelluu specialize in?
- Kelluu works across Autonomous airships, Persistent ISR, Dual-use aerial monitoring.
Sources & citations9
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
Finland's Kelluu raises €15 million Series A led by the NATO Innovation Fund to advance persistent aerial intelligence
EU-Startups: Finland's Kelluu raises €15 million Series A led by NATO Innovation Fund to advance persistent aerial intelligenceVerified2026-04-14 - 2
Kelluu, founded 2018, is one of 75 companies selected for NATO's DIANA program; HQ in Joensuu, Finland
Smithsonian Magazine: The New Age of Tiny AirshipsVerified2026-04-10 - 3
Finland's Kelluu raises additional coverage of its €15M Series A round
Tech.eu: Kelluu raises €15M to scale autonomous airship intelligence platformVerified2026-04-14 - 4
The NATO Innovation Fund leads a €15M Series A in Kelluu to build Europe's persistent aerial intelligence layer
NATO Innovation Fund: The NATO Innovation Fund leads €15mn Series A in KelluuVerified2026-04-14 - 5
Kelluu's persistent autonomous airship was awarded a NATO Rapid Adoption Action Plan contract and a mission-assurance award from NATO Allied Land Command (LANDCOM), presented by Brig. Gen. Chris Gent, after demonstrating multi-day autonomous operations in severe icing conditions
Kelluu: Kelluu's persistent autonomy awarded by NATO LANDCOMVerified2025-12-12 - 6
NATO down-selects Kelluu's autonomous airships to DIANA Phase 2
Kelluu: NATO down-selects Kelluu's autonomous airships to DIANA Phase 2Verified2026-08-02 - 7
Varusteleka partners with Kelluu to outfit Arctic ground crews
Varusteleka: Varusteleka × KelluuVerified2026-07-02 - 8
Kelluu expands to Canada, opening a new site at Area X.O in Ottawa, an ITB-qualified NATO DIANA Test Centre, to bring persistent airship surveillance to Arctic operations
Kelluu: Kelluu expands to Canada, brings persistent airship surveillance to the ArcticVerified2026-07-28 - 9
Invest Ottawa confirms Kelluu's new office opening at Area X.O
Invest Ottawa: Invest Ottawa LinkedIn announcement — Kelluu opens Ottawa officeVerified2026-07-28