The industrial deeptech startup HELIUP, a spin-off from CEA at INES, celebrates the certification of its latest generation of STYKON® solar panels. This technological advancement, developed in close collaboration with CEA, integrates high-efficiency TOPCon cells and successfully passes international standard compliance tests, showing less than 2% loss at the enclosure output, where the standard allows 5%.
Manufactured in France at HELIUP's factory in Le Cheylas, the STYKON® panel stands out for its lightness, thanks to its glass front. This major innovation does not compromise the system's performance or reliability, offering a solution adapted to large industrial and commercial roofs that often struggle to support the weight of conventional panels.
Born from observations by researchers at CEA, HELIUP was founded in 2022 in Le Bourget du Lac (Savoie) to market this patented technology. STYKON® panels are three times lighter than conventional panels (5kg/m2), reducing the total weight of a solar power plant by over 60%.
Following a first fundraising round of 10 million euros in 2023 and the launch of a pilot line, HELIUP's first factory was inaugurated in 2025. With an annual capacity of 100MWc, it can produce 350,000 solar panels per year, representing one of the largest production capacities in France. In March 2026, the startup completed a second fundraising round of 16 million euros to support its industrial and commercial development.
