Dutch startup Hyllus has supplied almost 400 drones of various types to Ukraine since October 2024. Initially, these were radio-controlled systems, but later the developers switched to a fiber-optic signal transmission system. Deondernemer writes.
The company says it plans to increase production to 10,000 drones per month. To do this, it plans to attract 5 million euros in investment.
The startup now offers several types of drones, including kamikazes and light bombers that can carry six explosive charges or transport two smaller strike drones to the front. The top model of such a drone can fly up to 30 km.
In addition, the startup announced interceptors of enemy UAVs, which will appear next month. According to the founder of Hyllus Albin Sela, the new interceptor can fly at speeds of up to 200 km/h and climb to an altitude of up to 4,000 meters. This, in his opinion, will allow destroying Russian drones, in particular Shaheds.
Hyllus has drones that vary in size and weigh between 3 and 5 kilograms. The cost ranges from 1,500 to 8,000 euros – depending on the cameras, motors and electronics.
Many components are sourced from China, but Hyllus uses a triple-supply approach: for each component, there are three suppliers located in China, Europe, and, for example, Taiwan or South Korea. This reduces logistics problems. The drone bodies are printed on a 3D printer from carbon.
Albin Sela himself stated that the first contact with Ukraine took place through the Brave1 defense cluster platform. He was invited to Kyiv by one of the employees. And the startup itself currently employs nineteen people living in the Netherlands, Ukraine, the USA and other European countries.
Seven core members have been involved from the beginning, building drones, engineering, testing, and customer service. The team includes former military personnel, a nuclear physicist, maritime experts, test pilots, and other specialists. Most of them work as volunteers or receive company shares rather than salaries.
By the way, in July 2025, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine allowed more than 40 new unmanned aircraft systems to be operated in the Defence Forces.