SmartHelio wins CHF 150,000 to optimize solar plant performance through AI-driven analytics
23.10.2020
SmartHelio has developed AI-based advanced data analytics for solar panel diagnostics and a prescription for the proactive maintenance of solar assets. The technology of the Lausanne-based startup aims to improve solar plant performance and optimize the ROI for solar companies and their clients. SmartHelio was founded in November 2019 and will use the CHF 150,000 Venture Kick funding to scale its operations in Europe and India and improve its cloud platform.
 SmartHelio founder and CEO Govinda Upadhyay
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In the next 10 years, the solar photovoltaic industry is expected to become a USD 1 trillion market, which will be dominated by emerging markets. Despite this potential for growth, solar-plant maintenance is highly manual and reactive, which results in loss of time and money. Currently, monitoring solutions only provide data acquisition and visualization; diagnosis and root-cause analysis are highly manual. This has created a need for more advanced tools and solutions for the solar industry.
SmartHelio, founded by Govinda Upadhyay (CEO), addresses the lack of diagnostic solutions and makes fault-localization for solar panels more automated. The startup has developed an AI-based cloud platform that analyzes critical factors such as shading, connector faults, or wire rust. The SmartHelio technology currently works for solar plants of any size (rooftop to utility-scale), and the cloud solution can seamlessly connect with any existing monitoring platforms to enhance the ability to locate faults in real time. SmartHelio currently has 30 pilot customers located in Switzerland, France, India, and the Netherlands.
To become the one-stop solution for solar asset management, the startup has also developed its own panel-level Smart IoT sensor, called HelioHealth, which is powered by edge computing and further improves the diagnostics. SmartHelio plans on making the sensor intelligent and improving data analytics, which will help reduce sensor cost by 80% and achieve a 50% faster fault-location.
SmartHelio has witnessed a near 200% jump in demand for its deep-data-driven solar asset management solution during COVID-19. To take care of this growing demand in Europe and India, SmartHelio plans to use the Venture Kick funding to further develop its IoT sensor and AI-based cloud platform and expand the team.
“Venture Kick has been very supportive, even before our inception. They provided us with the right contacts, funding, and support we needed to launch our product. Their support has been very instrumental during the COVID time, where we had to change our strategy, and we really needed advice and funds. We are looking forward to working closely with the Venture Kick team, especially at this scale-up stage,” said Govinda Upadhyay, SmartHelio CEO.
SmartHelio, founded by Govinda Upadhyay (CEO), addresses the lack of diagnostic solutions and makes fault-localization for solar panels more automated. The startup has developed an AI-based cloud platform that analyzes critical factors such as shading, connector faults, or wire rust. The SmartHelio technology currently works for solar plants of any size (rooftop to utility-scale), and the cloud solution can seamlessly connect with any existing monitoring platforms to enhance the ability to locate faults in real time. SmartHelio currently has 30 pilot customers located in Switzerland, France, India, and the Netherlands.To become the one-stop solution for solar asset management, the startup has also developed its own panel-level Smart IoT sensor, called HelioHealth, which is powered by edge computing and further improves the diagnostics. SmartHelio plans on making the sensor intelligent and improving data analytics, which will help reduce sensor cost by 80% and achieve a 50% faster fault-location.
SmartHelio has witnessed a near 200% jump in demand for its deep-data-driven solar asset management solution during COVID-19. To take care of this growing demand in Europe and India, SmartHelio plans to use the Venture Kick funding to further develop its IoT sensor and AI-based cloud platform and expand the team.
“Venture Kick has been very supportive, even before our inception. They provided us with the right contacts, funding, and support we needed to launch our product. Their support has been very instrumental during the COVID time, where we had to change our strategy, and we really needed advice and funds. We are looking forward to working closely with the Venture Kick team, especially at this scale-up stage,” said Govinda Upadhyay, SmartHelio CEO.