Avolta has acted as exclusive financial advisor to Heliup, a leading French deeptech industrializing ultra-lightweight photovoltaic panels for large-scale rooftop solarization, on its €16 million fundraising round.
The round was led by Supernova Invest, alongside the entry of new investors (MAIF Impact, Lita Gestion, and C2AD) and the continued support of historical shareholders Starquest Capital and BNP Paribas Développement. This transaction marks a decisive milestone in Heliup’s European industrial scaling and commercial expansion.
Heliup.
Based in Le Bourget-du-Lac (Savoie), Heliup is a CEA spin-off developing and manufacturing ultra-lightweight photovoltaic panels specifically designed for large rooftops with limited load-bearing capacity, a vast, structurally underserved segment of the European building stock. Its proprietary architecture, combining state-of-the-art silicon cells with a purpose-built lightweight encapsulation technology, enables rapid solar deployment without structural reinforcement, significantly reducing installation costs, timelines, and environmental impact. Heliup operates a 100 MWc production facility in Le Cheylas (Isère), operational since January 2025 and supported by the EU Innovation Fund (project SHEEFT). The company has been recognized as SolarPower Europe’s “Startup of the Year 2025” and received the EUPD Top Innovation Award 2025 in the Photovoltaic Modules category. Heliup is positioned at the intersection of Europe’s accelerating rooftop solar mandate, growing self-consumption demand, and industrial sovereignty agenda.
Transaction Rationale.
This new funding will enable Heliup to accelerate the scale-up of its French manufacturing base, expand commercial teams across Europe, and prepare the replication of its industrial model through additional production units, with a stated ambition of a 10x capacity increase from 2028. The entry of Supernova Invest, Europe’s leading deeptech investment platform managing approximately €800 million, brings significant sector expertise and industrial network. MAIF Impact and Lita Gestion reinforce the company’s impact-oriented investor base, while C2AD anchors continued regional support. The renewed commitment of Starquest Capital and BNP Paribas Développement confirms the strategic conviction behind Heliup’s technology and execution trajectory. The transaction positions Heliup as a key enabler of European energy sovereignty and building decarbonization, addressing a market where a significant share of logistics, industrial, and tertiary rooftops remain inaccessible to conventional photovoltaic solutions.
Avolta.
Avolta is a leading European tech investment bank with recognized expertise in software and Hard Tech transactions. Advising Heliup in its €16m fundraising sets another landmark for Avolta in the Deeptech space, confirming its leadership, having recently advised:
AI Verse: on its growth investment from Supernova Invest, Innovacom, Bpifrance & Créazur
U-Space: on its growth investment from Blast, BPI, Expansion Capital, and others
Lattice Medical: on its growth investment from BPI, Blast, EIC, and others
Space Cargo Unlimited: on its growth investment from Expansion, Eurazeo, EIC, and others
Water Horizon: on its growth investment from Eren & Banque des Territoires
TiHive: on its growth investment from Karista, Wind, and EIC
Hexana: on its growth investment from Blast, Eren, CEA, and Région Sud Invest
Aisprid: on its growth investment from Innovacom, BPI, Demeter, Go Capital, and Breizh’up
Vela: on its growth investment from Crédit Mutuel Impact, BPI, 11th Hour, and others
