Hivoduct

What Hivoduct does

Hivoduct AG is a Swiss private company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Hedingen, Switzerland, that designs and manufactures pressurized air cables (Druckluftkabel) for medium- and high-voltage electrical energy transmission. Its core technology uses compressed air as the insulation medium inside aluminum tubes that serve as both conductor and outer enclosure, eliminating SF6 and PFAS from the insulation system. Products span 12 kV to 420 kV and currents up to 5,000 A, and include high-voltage cables, medium-voltage cables, GIS busducts, wall bushings, high-current busbars, construction site cables, and space power cables. Differentiating features include a boltless flange for rapid installation, integrated UHF sensors for continuous partial-discharge monitoring, and a modular phase-per-pipe architecture.

Hivoduct monetizes through three revenue streams: hardware sales of pressurized air cables and components, engineering and installation services (technical feasibility analyses, project consulting, documentation, test reports), and software licensing of an online configurator that runs on Google Maps and offers feasibility-study subscriptions or annual licenses. Go-to-market is sales-led and engineering-led, targeting transmission system operators (e.g., Swissgrid), grid operators, energy utilities, and industrial customers with high current requirements such as battery storage, data centers, and hydrogen plants. The company also pursues tunnel infrastructure operators for low-loss gigawatt-range transmission.

The company is led by founders Dr. Walter Holaus (inventor of gas-insulated switchgear), Dr. Marco Jost (CFO and actuary), and Urs Vescoli (operations), with Thomas Rüegg (CEO of Baumann Springs AG) as an external board member. Hivoduct is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, holds design patents on its pressurized air cable technology, and has executed pilot projects with Swissgrid and an inaugural overseas installation in Brazil (145 kV, 3150 A). It is currently raising up to CHF 6.02 million in a 2026 investment round at a CHF 50 million post-money valuation to finance growth and production expansion.

Name

Hivoduct

Legal name

Hivoduct AG

Website

https://hivoduct.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hivoduct AG manufactures PFAS- and SF6-free pressurized air cables for medium- and high-voltage transmission (12-420 kV, up to 5,000 A), selling to transmission system operators, utilities, and industrial customers such as data centers, battery storage, and hydrogen plants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medium- and High-Voltage Power Cables

NAICS

Communication and Energy Wire and Cable Manufacturing (33592)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Underground Power Cables (MV/HV/EHV, XLPE, PILC, subsea/land) (EUADADAB)

Keywords

• Medium-voltage cables
• High-voltage cables
• Pressurized air insulation
• SF6-free cable systems
• Underground power transmission

Headquarters

HQ city

Kemptthal

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pressurized Air Cable Product Sales: Sale of pressurized air cables and components for medium- and high-voltage applications. Product range includes high voltage cables (up to 420 kV), medium voltage cables, GIS busducts, wall bushings, busbars, construction site cables, and space power cables.
2. Engineering and Installation Services: Comprehensive services from engineering to installation for pressurized air cables, including technical feasibility analyses, project and application consulting, documentation and test reports.
3. Online Configurator (Licensing): The online configurator operates worldwide based on Google Maps and is available for potential users as part of a feasibility study or for an annual license fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hivoduct manufactures pressurized air cables (Druckluftkabel) for medium- and high-voltage electrical power transmission, using compressed air as the insulation medium inside continuously encapsulated aluminum tubes. The product range spans 12 kV to 420 kV with current ratings up to 5,000 A, and includes high-voltage cables, medium-voltage cables, GIS busducts, wall bushings, high-current busbars, construction site cables, and space power cables. The company sells these along with engineering and installation services, plus a Google Maps-based online configurator for project planning and budgetary pricing.

Product overview

Hivoduct offers a suite of pressurized air cable products and related components for sustainable electrical energy transmission. The core offering is the Pressurized Air Cable (Druckluftkabel) technology, which replaces conventional SF6/PFAS insulation with compressed air, enabling PFAS-free and SF6-free power transmission from 12 kV to 420 kV with current ratings up to 5,000 A. The product portfolio includes High Voltage Cables and Medium Voltage Cables as the primary transmission products, complemented by specialized components such as GIS Busducts (one phase per tube), Wall Bushings, Busbars for high-current applications (battery storage, data centers, hydrogen), Construction Site Cables, and Space Power Cables. An Online Configurator tool enables customers to plan and price installations by selecting parameters and mapping routes via Google Maps. All products share a common technology platform using aluminum tube encapsulation with pressurized air insulation, a boltless flange design, and UHF partial discharge sensors for monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High Voltage Cables (Hochspannungskabel) Pressurized air cables designed for high-voltage transmission networks (typically above 36 kV), for efficient power transmission over medium and long distances in grid expansion projects.
• Medium Voltage Cables (Mittelspannungskabel) Compact and efficient pressurized air cable solutions for industrial facilities, critical infrastructure, and regional distribution networks with high power requirements.
• GIS Busducts (GIS Ausleitungen) One phase per pressurized air tube solutions with flexible system architecture for high-voltage networks, substations, and high-power transmission applications up to 420 kV.
• Wall Bushings (Wanddurchführungen) Pressurized air cable wall feedthrough components enabling safe passage through walls, barriers, or building structures for high-voltage cable installations.
• High-Current Busbars (Hochstromschienen)

Quantifiable outcome

• Lower transmission losses compared to conventional XLPE cables, resulting in gigawatt-hours of energy savings per kilometer over 40 years
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SwissgridcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint pilot project to install and test the first pressurized air cable in the Swiss extra-high voltage transmission grid in Spreitenbach under real grid conditions. Swissgrid, Switzerland's national transmission system operator, recognized pressurized air cable technology as a key innovation in its cable study and presentation at the Power Line Construction Conference 2025.
• OST (Ostschweizer Fachhochschule / University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland)coreTechnology or IntegrationCooperation with OST University of Applied Sciences for simulations and testing, established in 2022. OST provides simulation and testing expertise supporting product development for pressurized air cable systems.
• AllegaminorOthersMaterial supply partner providing aluminum and cutting services for cable manufacturing.
• electrosuisseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association providing expert networks and technical expertise. Hivoduct presented at Electrosuisse events including the Leitungsbautagung 2023.
• Vesmec GmbHminorOthersMilling and prototyping partner providing design support for cable components.
• Herger MechanikminorOthersTurning and prototyping partner for component manufacturing.
• Rentsch Partner AGminorOthersLaw firm and patent attorneys providing intellectual property protection and legal services.
• Marti Bau AGminorOthersConstruction company partner for installation projects and infrastructure development.
• Electrolyse AGminorOthersSilver plating of aluminum components for electrical contacts and connectors.
• Baumann Springs Ltd.minorOthersContact springs supplier for cable components.
• Ernst Schweizer AGminorOthersPowder coating services for aluminum tube components.
• B360 (Northwards Program)minorOthersB360 connects Hivoduct with international talent. The Northwards Program in collaboration with B360 brought a dedicated intern from Namibia to gain hands-on experience in pressurized air cables and high-voltage technology.
• FKH (Forschungskommission für Hochspannungsprüfungen)coreTechnology or IntegrationFKH conducted on-site testing of the first 145 kV pressurized air cable connection in Switzerland, performing AC voltage tests per IEC 62271-204. FKH test experts completed the speedy testing in just 3 working days.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NKT A/S: Danish cable manufacturer specializing in HV and EHV power cables and offshore/subsea transmission. Closely comparable to Hivoduct in its HV underground cable focus and European T&D customer base.
• Brugg Cables: Swiss-based manufacturer of high-voltage and extra-high-voltage power cables, including XLPE and gas-insulated transmission systems. Closest geographic and product-line peer to Hivoduct, serving European TSOs with HV underground transmission solutions.

Broad incumbents

• Nexans: French global cable manufacturer and one of the world's largest producers of HV and EHV underground power cables for transmission and distribution. Direct substitute supplier to the same TSOs and industrial customers Hivoduct targets, but at vastly larger scale.
• ABB: Global leader in high-voltage equipment including gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and HV substations. Hivoduct's founder Dr. Walter Holaus previously led GIS R&D efforts; ABB's installed base and HV portfolio overlap with Hivoduct's GIS busducts, wall bushings, and substation applications.
• Southwire Company: One of North America's largest wire and cable manufacturers with HV transmission cable offerings. Comparable product breadth in energy cables but at much greater scale and primarily U.S.-footprint.
• Siemens Energy: Major HV equipment, HVDC, and grid technology provider. Overlaps with Hivoduct's value proposition through its portfolio of gas-insulated transmission systems and grid-modernization offerings to European and global TSOs.
• Sumitomo Electric Industries: Japanese diversified manufacturer with a significant HV cable and power transmission systems business. Comparable to Hivoduct on the cable side and an established supplier to TSOs globally.
• Prysmian Group: World's largest cable manufacturer with a leading position in HV/EHV underground and submarine power transmission. Competes head-to-head with Hivoduct's technology for T&D grid modernization contracts across Europe and South America.
• Hitachi Energy: Global leader in HV equipment, HVDC converter stations, and grid integration. Closely adjacent to Hivoduct's positioning at the transmission-substation interface through its GIS, HVDC cable, and substation busbar offerings.
• Taihan Cable & Solution: South Korean cable manufacturer with a growing HV and EHV underground cable franchise serving utilities internationally. Comparable offering to Hivoduct on HV power transmission cables.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hivoduct

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Hivoduct