Heliup Raises €16M to Scale Up Lightweight Solar Panel Manufacturing in France
French deeptech company Heliup has successfully secured €16 million in a new funding round aimed at accelerating the industrialization of its innovative lightweight solar panels. This significant investment marks a pivotal moment for the company and a major boost for the European solar manufacturing landscape, particularly for a market segment that has been largely untapped: rooftops with low load-bearing capacity.
The funding round was led by Supernova Invest, with notable participation from new investors MAIF Impact, Lita Gestion, and C2AD. They were joined by existing backers Starquest Capital and BNP Paribas Développement, demonstrating continued confidence in Heliup’s vision. The round also included a successful crowdfunding campaign on the Lita platform.
Fueling Industrial Expansion with Lightweight solar panels
The fresh capital is earmarked for several key strategic initiatives. A primary focus will be on strengthening Heliup’s commercial teams to drive market penetration across Europe. The funds will also be crucial for expanding production at the company’s 4,000 m² factory in Le Cheylas, Isère. This facility, which became operational in January 2025, currently has an annual production capacity of 100 MWp, equivalent to approximately 500,000 square meters of solar panels.
Looking ahead, Heliup plans to use the investment to prepare for future growth by developing replicable industrial units and continuing to advance its core technology.
A Trajectory of Growth and Innovation in Lightweight solar panels
Based in Le Bourget-du-Lac, Savoie, Heliup has been on a steady growth path. The company launched a 10 MWp pilot production line in 2023 as part of the France 2030 program, following a previous €10 million fundraising effort. The leap to industrial-scale production in 2025 was supported by the European Union Innovation Fund’s SHEEFT project.
Heliup’s technology directly addresses a critical challenge in the solar industry. Many commercial and industrial buildings have roofs that cannot support the weight of conventional solar panels. Heliup’s panels, weighing just 4.9 kg/m², unlock this vast potential, enabling solar energy generation on structures previously deemed unsuitable.
With a current team of 40 employees, the company aims to create 100 direct jobs by 2027. The long-term vision is even more ambitious: starting from 2028, Heliup plans to increase its production capacity tenfold, a move that strongly supports the goals of European reindustrialization and energy sovereignty. This funding round is a critical step toward making that vision a reality.
