Pallon (fka Hades)

What Pallon (fka Hades) does

Pallon AG (formerly Hades) is a Zurich-based AI software company founded in 2019 that automates defect coding for sewer and manhole inspection footage. The company serves three customer segments — municipal network operators, engineering consultancies, and CCTV inspection companies — replacing manual, subjective coding with AI-driven analysis delivered through a cloud-based web application. Customers upload inspection video and metadata; Pallon's deep neural networks detect, localize, and quantify more than 300 main- and subclasses of defects compliant with European EN 13508-2, US NASSCO PACP/MACP, and British WRc MSCC5 coding standards, with results typically returned within days.

The platform combines proprietary computer vision models with a 3D vision pipeline that tracks hundreds of thousands of keypoints per inspection to reconstruct pipe geometry with millimeter precision, enabling longitudinal and circumferential defect localization as well as quantification of intrusion length, cross-section reduction, and diameter reduction. Image enhancement algorithms automatically select regions of optimal exposure and crop water-droplet artifacts, while rigorous software engineering practices — including thousands of automated unit, integration, and end-to-end tests — underpin 24/7 availability. The company emphasizes Swiss engineering heritage and collaborations with ETH Zurich, RWTH Aachen, Eawag, and MIT.

Pallon operates a subscription SaaS model distributed through a self-serve web application with free trial, complemented by a sales-assisted enterprise motion for municipalities and large engineering firms. The company has scaled to 250+ customers across German-speaking Europe, with named logos spanning construction majors (Strabag), inspection specialists (ExRohr, iTS Kanal, Dommel, Ingesa, SBU, Bolliger, Kibag), utilities (Gelsenwasser, Gelsenkanal, SH Power, Holinger), engineering consultancies (Stantec, Stein Ingenieure, Vogel Ingenieure, Schulz Ingenieure), and a dense roster of German and Swiss municipal and cantonal authorities. Pricing is quote-based for larger contracts. To date, Pallon has raised approximately $2.06 million across early-stage rounds with Venture Kick, URBAN-X, 360 Capital and Third Sphere, and Creative Destruction Lab.

Name

Pallon (fka Hades)

Legal name

Pallon AG

Website

https://pallon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pallon AG is a Zurich-based AI software company that automates sewer and manhole inspection defect coding using deep neural networks and 3D vision, serving municipalities, engineering firms, and inspection companies across German-speaking Europe through a cloud SaaS platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Sewer Inspection Software

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Sewer Inspection, Condition Assessment & Monitoring (CCTV, Sensors) (EUANACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sewer Inspection & Condition Assessment (CCTV, Smoke/Dye Testing) (BPALAMAH), Condition Assessment & Inspection (CCTV, Acoustic, Leak/Pressure, NDT) (EUANALAG)

Keywords

• AI sewer inspection
• Computer vision software
• Defect detection
• Infrastructure inspection
• Pipeline condition assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription - AI Analysis Service: Cloud-based AI analysis service where customers upload inspection footage and receive automated defect coding. Revenue generated through subscription-based access to the web application with analysis delivered within days. Offers free trial for initial customer acquisition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pallon is a cloud-based AI service that automatically detects, localizes, and quantifies defects in sewer and manhole inspection footage. Customers upload CCTV inspection videos to the Pallon web application, and the platform returns a coded defect report conforming to international standards (EN 13508-2, PACP, MACP, WRc) within days. The product is sold on a subscription basis and is used by municipalities, engineering consultancies, and sewer inspection companies.

Product overview

Pallon is a single unified AI-powered cloud platform for automated sewer and manhole inspection analysis. The platform consists of a web application where users upload inspection footage and metadata, AI algorithms automatically detect and classify defects, and results are delivered with condition grading, photos, and reports. The platform targets three customer segments: network operators (for budget planning), engineering firms (for rehabilitation planning), and inspection companies (for increased throughput). Supports European (EN 13508-2), British (WRc/MSCC5), and US (NASSCO/PACP/MACP) coding standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pallon AI Sewer Inspection Software

Named customers27 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SewerAI: US-based AI platform that automatically detects and codes defects in sewer inspection CCTV footage. Direct competitor to Pallon with a similar product offering, though focused primarily on the North American market and PACP/MACP standards.
• WinCan: Established sewer inspection data management and defect-coding software widely used by municipalities and inspection contractors globally. Competes with Pallon in the workflow layer above CCTV analysis, though traditionally more manual than AI-driven.
• InfoSense: Provider of cloud-based sewer inspection software and acoustic inspection technology for utility asset management. Comparable to Pallon in offering software tools that help municipalities prioritize sewer rehabilitation work.

Broad incumbents

• CUES (SPX Technologies): Leading manufacturer of sewer inspection trucks, CCTV crawlers, and associated software for municipal wastewater utilities. Represents the incumbent hardware-and-software stack that could bundle AI defect detection, posing a competitive threat to standalone AI software providers like Pallon.
• Envirosight: US-based manufacturer of robotic sewer inspection cameras and crawler systems sold to municipalities and inspection contractors. As a hardware OEM with deep customer relationships in the inspection workflow, Envirosight is a potential channel partner or vertical integrator relative to Pallon's software-only model.
• IBAK Helmut Hunger GmbH & Co. KG: German manufacturer of sewer inspection CCTV systems and software (PANORAMO, IKAS evolution). Long-standing European incumbent in the same inspection workflow that Pallon serves, with the customer footprint and engineering capacity to embed AI directly into its product stack.
• Rausch Electronics USA: Manufacturer of sewer and pipe inspection crawlers, cameras, and lateral-launch systems used by municipalities and contractors. Comparable to Pallon as part of the broader sewer inspection technology ecosystem, with potential to integrate or compete in defect-coding workflows.
• Esri (ArcGIS Utility Network): Dominant GIS and asset management platform widely used by water and wastewater utilities for infrastructure mapping and capital planning. While not a defect-coding tool, Esri's footprint with the same municipal buyers and emerging AI/integration capabilities make it a relevant adjacent incumbent.
• Hansen Technologies: Provider of IT systems for water, energy, and telecommunications utilities, including customer information and asset management. While not a defect-coding specialist, Hansen sells into the same municipal buyer base and represents the kind of broad utility-IT incumbent that could expand downward into AI inspection analytics.

Regional players

• Hydromax USA: US-based provider of sewer inspection, cleaning, and underground utility locating services to municipalities. Operates primarily in North America, complementing (rather than directly competing with) Pallon's DACH-focused software offering, though it could become a customer or reseller.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pallonag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pallon (fka Hades)